A GIS assessment of the effect of uncontrolled urbanisation on ECO system services in Wakiso, Uganda : a case study of Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District

Abstract

This study investigated the trend of the LULC and variation of ESV in Kyengera Town Council using remote sensing data for twenty years, from 2000 to 2020. Also, the study clearly states the importance of remote sensing and satellite images in quantifying land cover changes and ecosystem conservation that was covered in the objectives of the study. The study area was centred and rotated on Kyengera Town Council situated along Kampala – Masaka road and its headquarters are located at Nsangi – Mukono in Nsangi parish, approximately 15km from Kampala Capital City Authority. The primary data included GPS coordinates picked to aid in accuracy assessment and field photos and the tools used included, Google Earth Engine, ENVI software, Arc GIS and Microsoft office for the tasks summarized; also, those tools were used to extract urbanization and vegetation cover data. The methodology used mainly included the pre-processing methods that were done to remove flaws and deficiencies in the images due to atmospheric and electric noise and, included operations such as atmospheric and radiometric corrections, tasseled cap and PCA. LULC change was being driven by a combination of factors, including growing urban populations and their livelihoods, unplanned urban settlement, transportation congestion, air pollution, unmanaged solid waste disposal, and global climate change. Also, the findings of this study suggested the current value of ecosystem services; also suggested that policymakers should consider the regional heterogeneity of ES supply and the gradient analysis for a more accurate definition of ES supply. However, the study provided the new insight into variation in ESV in the region over the past 20 years of the study period. In summary, the study recommended the integrating nature-based solutions in urban development plans, policies, and financial support for implementing smart interventions; some of the recommended plans were green roof space, rainwater harvesting, sufficient use of clean and green energy, and plantation in available spaces at large scales with the active participation of communities and coordination with governmental bodies to enhance the ecosystem services by increasing LULC dynamics. The results of this study were useful in land use, and land cover model analysis tests alternate approaches for the determination how they (land use, and land cover model analysis tests) affected the ecosystem. ESV calculation was a conclusive and suitable method for valuing the ecosystem in terms of money, giving the scientific foundation for directing the policies.