Urban recreational green spaces dynamics and implications in the Bonaberi Neighbourhood of Douala IV Municipality, Cameroon

Globally, urban recreational green spaces constitute a major environmental resource of urban landscapes. These greeneries are suffering from shrinkages and transformations due to pressures on more urban land needed for housing, commercial and industrial purposes and uncontrolled urbanization. This study was conducted to assess the spatiotemporal variations and extent of transformations within the urban green spaces and their associated implications in the Bonaberi neighbourhood of Douala IV Municipality. To achieve this, empirical data was collected through field visits, in-depth interviews with urban authorities and mapping of urban green spaces for 2003 and 2022. Two hundred inhabitants were purposively sampled while local council authorities and other stakeholders were interviewed in the Douala IV Municipality. This was complemented by secondary data obtained from the Douala Urban Council. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and results revealed that the rapid transformation and decrease of urban green spaces in terms of spatiotemporal nature is a function of expansion and uncontrolled urban settlements. The shrinkage in urban green spaces in the Douala IV municipality has resulted in loss of biodiversity, increase in urban heat islands, atmospheric pollution, unattractiveness of the environment, crimes, mental and physical health issues. This was x-rayed by the poorly arranged green spaces, littered with wastes and having multiple paths used by motorists, pedestrians and vendor activities. This study concludes that greeneries remain a vital environmental resource, thus, recommending effective application of planning policies to restrict their encroachment. Additionally, greeneries should be treated among the top priorities of the development agenda of urban planning authorities as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal 11.