Map
Territory analysis
Data crossing
Teledetection
Objectives
Mapping Niger cross-border flows and analysing their activity from multi sources data and satellite imagery.
Results
Main spots (towns) of cross-border trade between Niger and its neighbors were identified. We also analysed their urban growth and the roads/tracks network connecting them. New fast-growing spots that reveal accelerating economic activity were detected. Main roads network of Niger data was produced to support the analysis.

Context

Direction des Douanes (Customs Direction) of Niger needed to review the distribution of its offices over the country and border areas.

Project description

This work was conducted in two parts (part 1: analysis of commercial spots (towns); part 2: road network analysis and production) and two details level. The analysis leans on a bibliographic search, photointerpretation on satellite imagery (mainly HR Sentinel and VHR Maxar/SecureWatch imagery), cartographic data from open sources, data supplied by the Direction Générale des Douanes and Geo212 knowledge of the region, acquired from more than 10 years of geographic studies of Africa.

Part 1: a first overview of border areas was conducted and led to a selection of 71 cities, whom urban growth was analysed. A second work analysed more precisely several areas of interest selected by Niger Customs: local towns evolution, cross-border points and roads analysis near customs offices

Part 2: national roads network data included levelled and paved roads and motorways. The data were assembled from: OSM validated data and Geo212 homemade database. The roads were then ranked and filtered, missing ways were added from photointerpretation (HR and VHR imagery).