scholarly journals Simulating Urban Land Expansion in the Context of Land Use Planning in the Abuja City-Region, Nigeria

GeoJournal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evidence Chinedu Enoguanbhor ◽  
Florian Gollnow ◽  
Blake Byron Walker ◽  
Jonas Ostergaard Nielsen ◽  
Tobia Lakes
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Sensitive Areas ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive Areas ◽  
City Regions ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive

Abstract In the Global South, including the Sub-Saharan African city-regions, the possible future urban expansion patterns may pose a challenge towards improving environmental sustainability. Land use planning strategies and instruments for regulating urban expansion are faced with challenges, including insufficient data availability to offer insights into the possible future urban expansion. This study integrated empirical data derived from Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and surveys of experts to offer insights into the possible future urban expansion under spatial planning scenarios to support land use planning and environmental sustainability of city-regions. We analyzed the spatial determinants of urban expansion, calibrated the land cover model using the Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network and Markov, and developed three scenarios to simulate land cover from 2017 to 2030 and to 2050. The scenarios include Business As Usual that extrapolates past trends; Regional Land Use Plan that restricts urban expansion to the land designated for urban development, and; Adjusted Urban Land that incorporates the leapfrogged settlements into the land designated for urban development. Additionally, we quantified the potential degradation of environmentally sensitive areas by future urban expansion under the three scenarios. Results indicated a high, little, and no potential degradation of environmentally sensitive areas by the future urban expansion under the Business As Usual, Adjusted Urban Land, and Regional Land Use Plan scenarios respectively. The methods and the baseline information provided, especially from the Adjusted Urban Land scenario showed the possibility of balancing the need for urban expansion and the protection of environmentally sensitive areas. This would be useful to improve the environmental sustainability of the Sub-Saharan African city-regions and across the Global South, where insufficient data availability challenges land use planning.

A Theoretical Basis for Managing Environmentally Sensitive Areas

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Jennings ◽  
John P. Reganold
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Hierarchy Theory ◽  
Sensitive Areas ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive Areas ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Privately Owned

While there has been considerable research and development in management of specific natural resources and public lands containing multiple resources, relatively little progress has been made concerning management of privately-owned resources through land-use planning at the local level of government. This paper examines the issue of local government policies and capabilities in land-use planning for privately-owned, environmentally-sensitive areas (ESAs) in the Pacific Northwest of North America. ESAs are defined as landscape elements that are vital to long-term maintenance of biological diversity, soil, water, and other natural resources—especially as they relate to human health, safety, and welfare, both on-site and in a regional context.A three-steps' approach of different geographical scales (i.e. watershed, state, and region) was used in a series of studies to facilitate examination of the relationship between political structure and ecological theory. When viewed collectively these studies showed that, while there is a political basis for regulating ESAs, attempts at regulation lack a theoretical and applied basis in systems-thinking and ecological science. To begin forging a stronger linkage between the political and scientific basis for ESA planning, two major ecological theories relevant to ESA management—hierarchy and subsidy–stress—were reviewed. These theories, when used in concert, were shown to be applicable in making objective choices concerning privately-held ESAs in the Pacific North-west. They can be used as a theoretical scientific basis for ESA planning, providing both qualitative and quantitative models. Hierarchy theory can provide guidelines for ESA planning by linking biophysical processes and patterns directly to appropriate scales of political jurisdiction. Subsidy–stress theory can be used to set specific performance standards that are needed in regulation of ESAs.As a result of our three-steps' approach at different geographical scales, four requisites for improving ESA planning were found: (1) definitions for natural resources should be standardized between regional districts, countries, states, and provinces; (2) replicative methods for ESA inventories, including natural communities and ecosystem processes, should be used; (3) a common environmental information system should be available to land-use planners; and (4) the expertise to apply such information should be available. The basis for these four items is found in the ecological systems theories of hierarchy and subsidy–stress.

scholarly journals Key Challenges for Land Use Planning and Its Environmental Assessments in the Abuja City-Region, Nigeria

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
Evidence Chinedu Enoguanbhor ◽  
Florian Gollnow ◽  
Blake Byron Walker ◽  
Jonas Ostergaard Nielsen ◽  
Tobia Lakes
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Environmental Assessments ◽  
City Regions ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Land Cover Maps

Land use planning as strategic instruments to guide urban dynamics faces particular challenges in the Global South, including Sub-Saharan Africa, where urgent interventions are required to improve urban and environmental sustainability. This study investigated and identified key challenges of land use planning and its environmental assessments to improve the urban and environmental sustainability of city-regions. In doing so, we combined expert interviews and questionnaires with spatial analyses of urban and regional land use plans, as well as current and future urban land cover maps derived from Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing. By overlaying and contrasting land use plans and land cover maps, we investigated spatial inconsistencies between urban and regional plans and the associated urban land dynamics and used expert surveys to identify the causes of such inconsistencies. We furthermore identified and interrogated key challenges facing land use planning, including its environmental assessment procedures, and explored means for overcoming these barriers to rapid, yet environmentally sound urban growth. The results illuminated multiple inconsistencies (e.g., spatial conflicts) between urban and regional plans, most prominently stemming from conflicts in administrative boundaries and a lack of interdepartmental coordination. Key findings identified a lack of Strategic Environmental Assessment and inadequate implementation of land use plans caused by e.g., insufficient funding, lack of political will, political interference, corruption as challenges facing land use planning strategies for urban and environmental sustainability. The baseline information provided in this study is crucial to improve strategic planning and urban/environmental sustainability of city-regions in Sub-Saharan Africa and across the Global South, where land use planning faces similar challenges to address haphazard urban expansion patterns.

scholarly journals Land Cover Change in the Abuja City-Region, Nigeria: Integrating GIS and Remotely Sensed Data to Support Land Use Planning

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evidence Enoguanbhor ◽  
Florian Gollnow ◽  
Jonas Nielsen ◽  
Tobia Lakes ◽  
Blake Walker
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Urban Land Cover ◽  
Land Use Plan

Rapid urban expansion is a significant contributor to land cover change and poses a challenge to environmental sustainability, particularly in less developed countries. Insufficient data about urban expansion hinders effective land use planning. Therefore, a high need to collect, process, and disseminate land cover data exists. This study focuses on urban land cover change detection using Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing methods to produce baseline information in support for land use planning. We applied a supervised classification of land cover of LANDSAT data from 1987, 2002, and 2017. We mapped land cover transitions from 1987 to 2017 and computed the net land cover change during this time. Finally, we analyzed the mismatches between the past and current urban land cover and land use plans and quantified the non-urban development area lost to urban/built-up. Our results indicated an increase in urban/built-up and bare land cover types, while vegetation land cover decreased. We observed mismatches between past/current land cover and the existing land use plan. By providing detailed insights into mismatches between the regional land use plan and unregulated urban expansion, this study provides important information for a critical debate on the role and effectiveness of land use planning for environmental sustainability and sustainable urban development, particularly in less developed countries.

scholarly journals Patterns of Historical and Future Urban Expansion in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhagawat Rimal ◽  
Sean Sloan ◽  
Hamidreza Keshtkar ◽  
Roshan Sharma ◽  
Sushila Rijal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Agricultural Conversion ◽  
Historical Land Use ◽  
Landsat Satellite

Globally, urbanization is increasing at an unprecedented rate at the cost of agricultural and forested lands in peri-urban areas fringing larger cities. Such land-cover change generally entails negative implications for societal and environmental sustainability, particularly in South Asia, where high demographic growth and poor land-use planning combine. Analyzing historical land-use change and predicting the future trends concerning urban expansion may support more effective land-use planning and sustainable outcomes. For Nepal’s Tarai region—a populous area experiencing land-use change due to urbanization and other factors—we draw on Landsat satellite imagery to analyze historical land-use change focusing on urban expansion during 1989–2016 and predict urban expansion by 2026 and 2036 using artificial neural network (ANN) and Markov chain (MC) spatial models based on historical trends. Urban cover quadrupled since 1989, expanding by 256 km2 (460%), largely as small scattered settlements. This expansion was almost entirely at the expense of agricultural conversion (249 km2). After 2016, urban expansion is predicted to increase linearly by a further 199 km2 by 2026 and by another 165 km2 by 2036, almost all at the expense of agricultural cover. Such unplanned loss of prime agricultural lands in Nepal’s fertile Tarai region is of serious concern for food-insecure countries like Nepal.

Threats to environmentally sensitive areas from peri-urban expansion in Mauritius

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. HAMMOND ◽  
V. GOND ◽  
C. BAIDER ◽  
F. B. V. FLORENS ◽  
S. PERSAND ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Bimodal Distribution ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Environmental Services ◽  
Tropical Islands ◽  
Sensitive Areas ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive Areas ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Global Growth

SUMMARYRapid population growth and economic change on the tropical islands of Mauritius have led to one of the highest rates of urban build-out in the world. Pressure on many of the island's natural features and resources increasingly risks further degradation to the environmental services that they provide to the country. Fourteen types of marine and terrestrial environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) are critical to the nation's sustainable development. Twelve of these ESA types are currently at risk of degradation, owing to their spatial proximity to built-up areas (BUAs) and current use designation. There was a bimodal distribution in proximity; eight of the 12 ESA types analysed had an area-weighted modal peak < 500 m from the nearest BUA, and four ESAs had a modal peak 2–3 km from the nearest BUA. Six coastal and marine ESAs had limited protection from urban expansion and over-use. The Mauritian experience reflects trends that are emerging across many tropical developing countries, where the bulk of future global growth in urban area is expected to occur. The approach detailed in this case study is replicable and may be useful in assessing degradation risk as a result of urban expansion in other island countries.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY TO DESERTIFICATION WITH MEDALUS MODEL IN GIS IN MAYMONA PROJECT- SOUTH OF IRAQ

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1058-1069
Author(s):  
Hamad & et al.
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Geographic Information Systems ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Sensitive Areas ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive Areas ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
South Of Iraq

The objective of this study was to identify the locations sensitivity to land desertification based on the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) approach by the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the south of Maysan governorate at Iraq for mapping environmentally sensitive areas to desertification. Three indicators, which included climate, vegetation, and soil, were employed to estimate the ESAI and then to classify the land in critical, fragile potentially, and non-influenced sensitive areas. The results of the soil quality index (SQI) indicated that 25% of the studied area was classified as moderate quality and 21% was low quality while 54% was very low quality. Vegetation qualities were classified into moderate and low quality 19% and 81%, respectively, and climate quality was classified as moderate.

Sustainability and Green Socio-ecosystem Resilience

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Planning System ◽  
The Social

Humanity is facing a series of critical challenges, global warming being one the most important. Consequently, sustainability and resilience have become key elements in better response to the crisis and maintaining an equilibrium between ecology, economics, and various social domains. The design and use of urban land should consider including a multi-functional green infrastructure to obtain different benefits, from ecosystem services to value creation. Additionally, the urban land-use planning system contributes to economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability, while biodiversity can provide renewal and reorganization capacities for changes in the social-ecosystems. All these elements bring forth a different paradigm for the future decisions of communities. Paper seeks to synthesize Keywords: Resilience, sustainability, urban land use.

Sustainable Resilience in Urban Land Use

2022 ◽  
pp. 233-256
Author(s):  
José G. Vargas-Hernández ◽  
Elsa Patricia Orozco-Quijano
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Planning System

Humanity is facing a series of important challenges, global warming being one the most important. Consequently, sustainability and resilience have become key elements in providing a better response to the crisis and in maintaining an equilibrium between ecology, economics, and various social domains. The design and use of urban land should consider the inclusion of a multi-functional green infrastructure to obtain different benefits, from ecosystem services to value creation. Additionally, the urban land-use planning system contributes to economic growth, social development, and environmental sustainability, while biodiversity is able to provide renewal and reorganization capacities for changes in social-ecosystems. All these elements bring forth a different paradigm for the future decisions of communities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document