Land cover change between 1991-2009

A remarkable picture of the dramatic urban growth in the last two decades is evident in the GCR. 

The study revealed that the percentage of urban (i.e. built-up) land cover/use in Gauteng has dramatically increased from 12,6% in 1991 to 18,4% in 2009. Urban growth corresponds with a drastic decline in the percentage of woodlands and a slight increase in the percentage of grasslands and can be attributed to the proliferation of informal settlements, government RDP housing projects and the development of new office and industrial parks, residential estates, shopping complexes and commercial nodes.

Urban land cover

 

1991

2001

2009

Land-use/cover class

Ha

%

Ha

%

Ha

%

Water

35 707,71

1,97

34 350,43

1,89

32 002,60

1,76

Urban (built-up)

228 791,82

12,60

289 781,31

15,95

333 457,56

18,36

Mines

26 362,64

1,45

26 584,67

1,46

19 320,06

1,06

Cultivated (crop & pasture)

391 787,26

21,57

391 460,73

21,55

386 942,72

21,30

Grasslands

890 463,40

49,03

918 737,59

50,57

934 043,39

51,42

Woodlands

174 602,38

9,61

75 111,73

4,2

62 620,52

3,45

Wetlands

39 788,39

2,19

28 849,97

1,59

32 150,38

1,77

Bare

28 564,33

1,57

51 723,21

2,85

15 841,93

0,67