Integrating Geoinformation and Socioeconomic Data for Assessing Urban Land-use Vulnerability to Potential Climate-change Impacts of Abuja
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Date
May 2016
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Abstract
This dissertation is framed as a retrospective research concept that analysed and monitored
land use change to assess the impacts of urbanization on climate in cities. Multi-source datasets
such as remote sensing images, vector layers, topographical maps, historical climatic variables
and socioeconomic information were used for the retrospective landscape studies. Land-use
Land-cover (LULC) maps were produced from historical Landsat series data using support
vector machine information extraction algorithm. Subsequently, spatio-temporal settlement
expansion analysis, change detection and urban growth modelling into the future was
implemented to assess potential climate impacts due to urbanization. Thermodynamics of the
urban landscape was investigated using relevant discrete historic climatic data and continuous
thermal spatial datasets. Climate indices calculation and multiple spatial statistical approaches
were used to analyse changes in air and land surface temperature and to detect urban warming
and heat island impacts. Urban flood-risk assessment was investigated by integrating multisource
geoinformation and morphometric analysis approach. Using object-based image
analysis, the generated urban density information and urban structural types were useful in
demonstrating the relevance of integrated geospatial datasets analysis for land use and climate
change studies. Two silent urbanization impacts identified in this study were, increased
imperviousness which result in land surface temperature modification and urban flood-risk
propagation. LULC was observed to have moderated urban micro climate in different urban
landscapes of Abuja. The proposed disaggregation concept used in the morphometric analysis
in this study also revealed the hydrological processes such as flood-risk can be perennial and
imminent due to inadequate natural drainage densities and low bifurcation ratio status of the
landscape. The output of synergizing multi-source geospatial datasets facilitated fine-scale
human wellbeing and security vulnerability assessment for improved disaster risk reduction in
the context of climate impacts in cities. The main findings of this dissertation is a proof of
concept of how integrated datasets and methodical research approach can be used for empirical
climate and land use change science at local scale. Therefore, relevant institutions such the
Federal Capital Development Authority and policy makers in other regions of Nigeria can
adopt the concept demonstrated in this research for rapid assessment of urban landscapes to
potential climate change impacts.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Civil Engineering Department, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Climate Change and Land-Use,