Summary
More
accurate spatio-temporal predictions of urban environment are needed
as a basis for assessing exposure in environmental studies and to
inform urban protection policy and management authorities. Using
habitat assessment protocol, the author assesses the pollution status
of rivers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data used include hydrographic feature
data and habitat assessment data. These basic environmental components
are the result of the integration of a wide range of relatively
independent factors which enable a more complex analysis of the
environment in urban areas. Geographic information systems were
used for data management, input and output of data and visualisation.
The pollution status of the inland rivers assessed during the rainy
season (July to September) and dry season (October to March) in
the eleven local government areas in Ibadan suggested that out of
the twenty-two sample points, seven (31.8%) and six (27.3%) were
slightly polluted and nine (40.9%) and ten (45.4%) were moderately
polluted during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. The environmental
models are focused on the assessment of surface-water quality of
habitat in relation to human activities. Although the models are
calibrated and tested by application in the metropolitan area of
Ibadan, the structure of this project is applicable to other similar
areas.
Keywords
Geographic
information system, Habitat assessment, Ibadan, Nigeria, Pollution,
River, Seasonal trend.
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