Impact of urban land cover change on the garden city status and land surface temperature of Kumasi
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Date
2020-06-17
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cogent Environmental Science
Abstract
Rapid urban expansion and development have resulted in the conversion
of many natural green surfaces within cities to non-transpiring built-up surfaces,
such as concrete and asphalt. These artificial urban surfaces cause substantial
variation in land surface temperatures that affect the urban microclimate. Thus,
there is the need to substantially quantify the extent of green cover loss within
growing cities and its impact on surface temperatures. This study used LANDSAT
data to spatially assess the extent of urban expansion and its effect on land surface
temperature within Kumasi, Ghana. Subsequently, the results showed significant
changes in the land cover, which had an effect on the observed land surface
temperatures from 1986 to 2015. Generally, there was an overall increase in the
built-up areas by 24.13% (55.81 km2
) from 1986 to 2015, with a corresponding
increase in the mean land surface temperature by 4.16°C. As such, there is the need
for the adoption of sustainable urban planning strategies with green vegetation
conservation initiatives for modern city planners. This would help reduce urban land
surface temperatures while promoting clean air circulation within the city
Description
Keywords
Environmental Studies & Management, Urban Studies, Built Environment, ACE: Energy and Environmental Sustainability, University of Energy & Natural Resource, Ghana, Power