Retrospective land use land cover change detection using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques: The Case of Andasa Micro-Watershed, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia
January 2018
Land use/land cover change is a general term for the modification and conversion of the earth’s surface by human and natural factors. Land cover is the physical and biological cover of the surface. Land use covers the results of human activities for the exploitation of it. The objective of this study was to detect land cover/use changes in Andasa Watershed between the years 1995 to 2015. The...
Environmental sustainability in local governments: A case of Turkish municipalities
December 2017
This study investigated the level of perception and understanding of local government staff about environmental sustainability tools and implementations in the city of Istanbul in Turkey. It employed qualitative methods and the data was collected via interview method. The study adapted Bostancı’s eco-municipality researches to investigate sustainability tools of municipalities in Turkey. According to this...
Physical and commuting characteristics of selected peri-urban settlements in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria
November 2017
Cities in Nigeria have been experiencing exceptional changes in terms of population and spatial extent. The rapid rate of these growths and the inadvertent expansion of cities have resulted in several negative consequences. This research is aimed at evaluating the physical and commuting pattern of selected peri-urban settlements. The objectives are to examine the availability of utilities, services and infrastructure;...
Re-analysis of tropical cyclone variability from February 1956 to February 2016 over the western North Pacific using the TianGan-DiZhi calendar
November 2017
Properly organized data is vital for appropriate statistics and theories. In this study, it was hypothesized that raw tropical cyclone (TC) data labeled with the current Gregorian time system, dampened the dominant signals and order in the data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore and reorganize the data, using the TianGan-DiZhi (T-D) calendar. All 6 h TC records in 60 sidereal years over the western...
Critical factors determining public transport access level in Abuja federal capital territory of Nigeria
November 2017
This study aims to investigate the key factors which determine access to public transport service in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria. Data were collected based on ten public transport access levels indicators namely: Safety, transport fare, bus availability, comfort level, speed on transit, delays at parks, bus stops and on transit highway, adherence to estimated arrival time, adherence to...
Factors affecting farmers’ land tenure security after the implementation of rural land registration and certification program in Hulet Eju Enese district, Amhara region, Ethiopia
October 2017
In Ethiopia, land tenure insecurity is one of the major factors that affect the productivity of smallholder agriculture and sustainable development. The present government of Ethiopia designed and implemented rural land registration and certification program in the four major regions to enhance the land tenure security of peasants. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that affect land tenure security of...
Development of an informal cadastre using social tenure domain model (STDM): A case study in Kwarasi informal settlement scheme Mombasa
October 2017
The Kenya government together with development partners has embarked on the development of informal settlements. Mombasa County has more than 70 informal settlements; information about the settlements and their relationship to the existing cadastral spatial layer covering the entire Mombasa County needs to be determined in order to support decision making for sustainable development. This study evaluates the Social...
Spatial suitability for urban sustainable densification in a borderland city
October 2017
The traditional approach to pursuit of sustainable urban development involves an integrated, long-term planning process based on a series of environmental, economic, equity and livability societal values, for creating healthy and prosperous communities that not only meet the physical needs but also the aspirations of their residents. Urban land plays a central role as the material basis of this process; therefore,...
Low cost geothermal energy indicators and exploration methods in Kenya
September 2017
Geothermal power is one of the safest and environment friendly energy worldwide. It has been harvested in Kenya since 1956 with most potential sites being along the Rift Valley. There are surface manifestations such as hot springs and mudpools that are visible. Different methods of exploration are usually applied, including geophysical, geochemical and geological methods. This paper highlights different geothermal...
Built environment and individual travel behavior: Findings from two Bangkok districts
September 2017
As many cities in the global South are expanding rapidly, their urban form and built environment transforms and thus people’s travel demand and behaviour. This paper investigates how the built environment on district level influences individuals’ travel behavior and rationales for activity and mode choice in two Bangkok districts. Findings shows that individuals in the sparse outer district – who...
Urban renewal strategies in developing nations: A focus on Makoko, Lagos State, Nigeria
August 2017
One of the greatest changes that have occurred in the last century in developing countries is the urban growths which have produced more slums in our cities. The study examines the physical conditions in Makoko, an urban slum in Lagos, Nigeria. Geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technologies were used, in a post classification, to model possible land use changes in the area overtime. It also...
Assessing land use and land cover change using participatory geographical information system (PGIS) approach in Nguruman Sub-catchment, Kajiado north Sub county, Kenya
August 2017
Approaches that bridge the technology and knowledge gaps between policy makers and local communities towards natural resource management are required. This study employed participatory Geographical Information System (PGIS) to assess and identify drivers of land use and land cover changes in Nguruman Sub-catchment. Data were collected following a focus group discussion (FGDs) during which a resource mapping exercise was...
Evaluation of the institutional arrangements for rural water supply in Enugu State, Nigeria
August 2017
This paper presents a qualitative assessment of the institutional arrangements for public water supply to rural communities of the Enugu State, Nigeria, in order to isolate strategies that can enhance institutional strengthening and improve service delivery in the area. The data used were obtained through questionnaire surveys, field observations and from records in the states agencies responsible for public water...
Predicting urban sprawl and land use changes in Akure region using markov chains modeling
July 2017
This study makes use of Markov chains modeling to predict sprawl and pattern of land use change in Akure region. Efforts were made to examine the trend of the expansion using Aerial Imagery Interpolation (AII). It focuses on overlaying of Landsat TM imageries of 1986, 2002, 2007 and 2014 to determine the land use changes and extent of expansion between 1985 and 2014. The land use were classified and displayed in colors...
Analysis of trends in rainfall and water balance characteristics of Awka, Nigeria
July 2017
This paper analyses the trend in rainfall and water balance characteristics of Awka, Nigeria using the monthly rainfall data retrieved from the archives of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency in Lagos from 1976 to 2015. The tools employed for the study are linear regression analysis, cumulative sum (CUSUM) technique, Walter’s cumulative index analysis and Thornthwaite’s method. Rainfall was observed to have...
Municipal solid waste and flooding in Lagos metropolis, Nigeria: Deconstructing the evil nexus
July 2017
Municipal solid waste (MSW) has contributed significantly to flooding in the Lagos metropolis. This study examined the volume of MSW generated using per capita waste generation, projected population, quantity of MSW collected and deposited at six landfills sites from 2007 to 2013. One thousand and twenty-five copies of a structured questionnaire were administered to obtain data. The points where MSW blocked drainage...
Web geographic information system (GIS) in accreditation and monitoring of professional training institutions for quality assurance: The case of Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB), Kenya
June 2017
Professional education is crucial not only in impacting citizens with skills and competencies in specific fields, but also in accelerating development in any country. Kenya aims at providing globally competitive quality education, training and research to her citizens. In line with these national goals and in order to maintain the quality of its qualifications, Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations...
Geospatial based biofuels suitability assessment in Ethiopia
June 2017
Due to the rising demands of fuels combined with efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emission, countries all over the world are looking for alternative clean energy sources such as biofuel. Ethiopia imports a huge amount of fuel each year and to supplement its energy needs efforts are underway for biofuel development. Despite this, comprehensive assessments of the suitable sites for biofuel feedstocks are lacking. This...
Spatial analysis of the petrol stations in Khan-Younis city using geographic information system (GIS) techniques
June 2017
This study was conducted in Palestine, the Gaza strip in Khan Younis City. The study aimed at analyzing petrol stations locations in Khan Younis City. It used geographic information system (GIS) based multi standard analysis. 25 petrol stations are available in Khan Younis City, distributed in 11 neighborhoods. A preview was created about the different petrol stations in Khan Younis City. This outline includes the...
Efficacy of forest resources governance on REDD+ performance in Uvinza district, western Tanzania
June 2017
This paper presents findings of a study on the effectiveness of forest resource governance on the performance of the REDD+ project in the Masito-Ugalla ecosystem in Uvinza district, western Tanzania through transparency, accountability, participation and integrity. The study was conducted in Ilagala, Karago and Kirando villages with the objective of understanding the effects of forest resources governance on REDD+...
The evaluation of land tenancy contracts using the analytical hierarchy process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
May 2017
New approaches and tools are needed to enable land tenancy arrangements in the developing countries to specify the landlord-tenant relationship in general and particularly in the targeted study area Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. So this research work applied a multi-criteria decision making approach (MCDM) to investigate the important factors which greatly impact on initial signing process of land tenancy contracts...
Success of high-rise residential condominium housing development program in meeting its objectives and its liveablity in Addis Ababa: A case of Bole sub city
May 2017
This study aims to study to examine the success of the condominium housing development program. The result of the study revealed that the housing development office is constructing and distributing condominium-housing units with slower pace. Settlement in high-rise residential condominium housing saves land from encroachment and improper utilization. The open space reserved at sites of condominium is not proportional to...
A GIS based land suitability analysis for sustainable agricultural planning in Gelda catchment, Northwest Highlands of Ethiopia
May 2017
The present study was carried out to examine the suitability status of plots of land for selected land utilization types (teff -Eragrostis tef, maize - Zea mays and finger millet - Eleusine coracana). The land mapping units of the study area, prepared from land resource survey, were used for the purposes of land evaluation. The methodology used for land suitability evaluation was GIS-based multiâ€criteria evaluation...
Monitoring the urban growth of Debre Markos Town (1984-2012), Ethiopia: Using satellite images and GPS
April 2017
Urban growth is a worldwide phenomenon. It is a process which takes place rapidly to occupy the adjacent land of an area and changes in land use pattern, demographic features and transforms the economic activities of the people. Over the years, Ethiopian cities have experienced tremendous expansion which generates a great concern for urban planners. The present study used Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote...
Rural youth outmigration, remittance and its impacts on migrant-sending households in Gojjam and Wolayta, Ethiopia
April 2017
Rural outmigration of young people from densely populated agricultural areas is a common phenomenon throughout Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of remittances from out-migrant young people on the migrant-sending rural households. Primary data were gathered through a survey that covered 300 migrant-sending households; and from in-depth interviews. The findings revealed that migrant-family...
Investigation of smart growth in traditional Islamic culture: Case study of Isfahan city in Iran
April 2017
There is widespread urban growth in a new concept with sustainable development in each society; it includes type of housing, mix land use, socio-cultural support and public transit access. This study firstly focuses on analyzing the land use pattern, transportation and cultural accessibility as well as investigating their relationship of smart growth in municipalities’ districts of Isfahan city. Secondly, it...
Constraints of affordable housing through cooperative societies in tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria
March 2017
This study evaluated the different constraints of affordable housing and the different strategies employed by cooperative housing societies in tertiary institutions in Lagos State to ameliorate these constraints. Data for the study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. A set of questionnaire were designed. The questionnaire targeted the executives of the cooperative societies in the tertiary...
Revitalization of Dravayawati River, Jaipur, India: A water-front development project
March 2017
History has countless evidence of civilization growing by the water-fronts. Rivers like Indus, Nile, Tigris, etc., are known for the human settlements which developed here. The river fronts today are degrading due to uncalled interventions and human ignorance towards their ecology. The trend in case of many contemporary urban rivers, surrounded by a modern society and a predominantly technology driven economy, is no...
Arsenic and fluoride in water in northwestern Buenos Aires: their association with natural landscape elements
February 2017
Numerous publications analyze the origin of Arsenic and Fluoride, their behavior and distribution in groundwater indicating the importance in understanding the relation between their occurrence with other physical and chemical properties. Here, such properties associated with elements of the landscape in the plain of the Chaco-Pampean region are discussed. The landscape is represented by hills, lagoons and plains used...
Application of geographic information system (GIS) for a suitability assessment of factory placement
January 2017
In this study, a geographic information system was used to determine land suitability for locating type 1, type 2 and type 3 factories in Lam Thap District, Krabi Province, Thailand. Environmental factors used to assess suitability were proximity to roads, rivers, urban areas, public areas, watershed areas, forest areas, wildlife areas, as well as land use type. Numerical weights of the main factors were assigned and...
Descriptive analysis of rainfall and temperature trends over Akure, Nigeria
December 2016
Climate change is expected to alter rainfall and temperature regimes across the world, Nigeria inclusive. Climate projections indicate warming and changes in rainfall varied from one location to another. This study presents a descriptive analysis of rainfall and temperature in Akure, Nigeria for a period of 32-year (1980 to 2011) using monthly record from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Climatic...
Impacts of rapid urbanisation in the urban fringe of Lokoja, Nigeria
November 2016
Urban settlements in many parts of the world have been experiencing rapid growth in recent decades with serious consequences on the environment of the fringe areas. This paper examined the opportunities and challenges of rapid urbanisation of Lokoja on the environment of the urban fringe. It utilised data generated from questionnaire administration from the fringe areas and Google images of Lokoja to examine the...
The geographical distribution of ready mix concrete factories using GIS and assessment of some of its adverse effects in the Gaza Strip
October 2016
Gaza strip have (32) concrete production factories distributed in all Gaza strip governorates, and it's a large number when compared with the geographical area. So, the target population of the study is all concrete production factories in Gaza strip. This study is a massive survey conducted during the period of April to August 2015, and designed to identify the environmental impacts of concrete production factories...
The influence of socio-cultural characteristics on commercialization of smallholder dairy value chain development in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
August 2016
Livelihoods of many rural households in the developing economies majorly depend on smallholder farming activities. Smallholder dairy farming is the single largest component of agriculture in Kenya. Uasin Gishu County is the leading milk producer in Kenya with subsistence, semi-commercialized and commercialized farmers constituting 70, 20 and 10%, respectively. Smallholder dairy farming in Kenya grows at 4.1% per annum...
GIS application for determining public transport access level in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja- Nigeria
August 2016
The prevalence of private car for commuting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja is of concern to transport policy makers and planners because of its negative consequences on both physical and socio-economic environments. This study therefore investigates commuters’ access to public transport using four key indicators (public transport fare, service frequency, walking distance to access points and waiting...
Residential housing in Ghana’s low-income urban areas: An analysis of households living conditions in the Wa Municipality
July 2016
The study examined the housing conditions of households in residential units within the Wa Municipality of Ghana. The study employed mainly interviews and focus group discussions, with questionnaire survey as a complementary technique, drawing on concepts of households’ demand for housing. The analysis suggests that households’ choice of living spaces is influenced by income, rent values, facilities...
Assessment of the impacts of gully erosion on Auchi settlement, Southern Nigeria
July 2016
Gully erosion in Auchi has become a serious environmental disaster to the town and its neigbouring villages. It has threatened and even destroyed many of the urban infrastructure, properties, and lives as well as retarding the social and economic growth and development of the town. The research work therefore assesses the impact of gully erosion on Auchi town with the aid of data derived from satellite imageries, Global...
Management of community water projects: Assessing the challenges of indigenous arrangements
June 2016
The importance of water projects is mostly documented; however studies on importance of local sustainability of water projects are limited. The study assessed local arrangements in the management and maintenance of community water projects. The study was conducted with thirteen Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMT) and community members. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used for data collection....
Impact of flooding on rural livelihoods of the Cuvelai Basin in Northern Namibia
June 2016
The recurrent Cuvelai Basin floods are both a blessing and a curse. This article discusses the consequences that flooding has on rural livelihoods of the Cuvelai Basin in Northern Namibia. The combined flooding episodes in the last few years had a substantial impact on local residents and the Namibian economy, with estimated losses of approximately US$136.4 million (NAD1364 million) in direct damage and US$78.2 million...
Evaluating indigenous environmental consciousness with residents of Ogbomoso in Nigeria
May 2016
The study assessed the level of indigenous environmental consciousness and education in Nigerian cities using Ogbomoso as a case study. It identified the level and limitations to the consciousness of environmental issues; it also evaluated the presence and level of indigenous environmental consciousness; examined the forms of indigenous environmental education prevailing in the city, how it is acquired, and their...
Fragmentation rate and landscape structure of the Tillabéry landscape (Sahel region) with reference to desertification
May 2016
This paper sought to investigate and monitor desertification processes in the Tillabéry landscape (Sahel). To achieve this aim, it employed a landscape metrics approach. The usefulness of landscape structure was investigated in the context of desertification. A set of indices was selected to investigate multi-temporal change in the Tillabéry landscape affected by desertification. The percentage of land...
Nature of home based enterprises (HBEs) in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria
May 2016
Major sources of employment and income generation for urban residents in Nigeria and most other developing countries are found in what is referred to as Home Based Enterprises (HBEs). In Nigeria, a wide range of economic activities fall within these enterprises. These enterprises provide residential neighbourhoods with a range of services. The HBEs face a number of operational problems. Using data from Aba, the major...
Explaining the role of cultural, social and economic factors on quality of residence in urban neighborhoods: A case study of Kerman
May 2016
The residential environments provide the main tools for developing different types of life indicators such as health, family, job, and leisure. These environments can create or provide the appropriate conditions for increasing the satisfaction of their dwellers by accessing the required criteria. In various cities of Iran, the lack of consideration to the qualitative criteria of dwelling in the trend of progressions...
Impact of urbanization on the morphology of Motoine/Ngong River Channel, Nairobi River basin, Kenya
April 2016
The geomorphic response of a stream to urbanization is a common interruption to the channel geometry equilibrium with dire consequences of sedimentation of reservoirs, mass wasting processes and water quality deterioration. The channel morphology was investigated with respect to deforestation, an increase in built-up surfaces and bank instability within the Motoine/Ngong River sub-catchment of the Nairobi River Basin in...
Land-use suitability analysis for urban development in Regional Victoria: A case study of Bendigo
April 2016
Selection of suitable areas for urban development is a complex process and needs many diverse indications on the basis of which decision may be assumed. The aim of this study is to examine the GIS-based land-use suitability analysis and its application in urban planning decision making, using Bendigo, a regional city in Victoria as a case study. The objective of this study is to provide evidence-based solutions to...
Spatial conflict and priority for small-scale fisheries in near-shore seascapes of the Central Coast Vietnam
March 2016
In near-shores of Vietnam, there are increasing spatial conflicts among different fishing gear operators as a result of declining and overfishing of small-scale fisheries recently. A challenge facing both small fishers and local governments is identifying more appropriate marine resource governance and public policies to deal with conflicts in the interests of short-term economic feasibility as well as long-term...
Drainage basin morphometry of the Encadenadas del Oeste lakes, Argentina
February 2016
The Las Encadenadas basin can be defined as an endorheic fluviolacustrine system. The aim of this study is to identify hydrographic sectors and subbasins within the Encadenada’s drainage basin and analyze the former’s morphometric properties including hypsometry. The morphometric analysis allowed for quantification of variables and indices for example area, perimeter, total length of streams, etc....
Population growth, urban expansion and housing scenario in Srinagar City, J&K, India
January 2016
Burgeoning population growth and wild urban sprawl has constituted serious problems especially in developing countries with a huge demand in housing stock. This phenomenon is more aggressive in historical cities like Srinagar. In such cities, there exists large scale variations in housing scenario due to differential growth and expansion patterns from core to periphery of these cities. This paper attempts to analyze the...
Real estate development outside the city county of Nairobi and the escalation of urban sprawl: Could developers be avoiding zoning-related costs in the city?
October 2015
In the recent times, there has been a wave of mostly speculative developers from the city of Nairobi targeting the areas outside the city fringe and, therefore, helping to create massive urban sprawl. Although various factors would lead to urban sprawl, it should be noted too that a significant variation in the cost of development between the city and areas outside the city may create a speculative zone in suburbia...
Institutional framework and constraints in the urban and regional planning system in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria
October 2015
Institutional frameworks, coordinated or non-coordinated, for effective urban and regional planning in most developing countries are highly constrained, making it almost impossible to control urban development and management of urban areas, hence the haphazard growth and development bringing about disproportionate distribution of resources in terms of basic infrastructure. It is against this backdrop that this paper...
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