Application of Remote Sensing for Urban Heat Island Mitigation Planning in Abuja

Urban heat island mitigation has emerged as an essential component of climate-responsive urban planning as Nigerian cities face increasing temperature extremes under projected climate change scenarios. This study applies remote sensing analysis to inform urban heat island mitigation planning in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Land surface temperature maps derived from Landsat 8 TIRS data for 2020, 2022, and 2024 are analysed to characterise heat island intensity, spatial pattern, and temporal trend. Urban morphology parameters including building coverage ratio, vegetation fraction, albedo, and impervious surface density are derived from high-resolution WorldView imagery and correlated statistically with land surface temperature patterns. Green space analysis identifies the minimum tree cover threshold associated with statistically significant temperature reduction in each district. The study develops a spatial mitigation scenario model comparing three interventions: urban tree planting, cool roof mandates, and permeable pavement expansion, in terms of projected land surface temperature reduction across districts. Scenario analysis outputs are calibrated against published mitigation effectiveness coefficients from comparable West African urban climate studies. Results identify the Garki, Wuse, and Central Business District zones as highest-priority mitigation targets based on both heat intensity and population exposure metrics. The study provides a spatial evidence base for the FCT Administration's Climate Action Plan development. Keywords: urban heat island, remote sensing, mitigation planning, Abuja, land surface temperature.