Geospatial Assessment Research Articles

Geospatial Assessment of Regression Analysis Between the Hydrocarbon Content in Surface Waters and Snow Cover on the Example of the Territories of the Far North of Russia

Geospatial Assessment of Regression Analysis Between the Hydrocarbon Content in Surface Waters and Snow Cover on the Example of the Territories of the Far North of Russia

Geo-spatial Assessment of Soil Quality Index of Alirajpur District of Madhya Pradesh, India

Information regarding spatial variability and distribution of soil properties is critical for stakeholders attempting to increase nutrients use efficiency and crop productivity. The soils of Alirajpur district having the bulk density, pH, EC, OC and CaCO3 varied from4.70 to 8.40, 0.03 to 0.90 dSm-1, 0.47 to 12.92 g kg-1 and 5.0 to 115.0 g kg-1 soil, respectively. Available N, P, K and S content in soils of Alirajpur district ranged from 76.0 to 382.0 kg ha-1, 1.34 to 62.13 kg ha-1, 53.52 to 529.85 kg ha-1 and 0.55 to 33.90 mg kg-1 soil, respectively. Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and B contents in soil varied from 0.03 to 1.98, 0.06 to 3.74, 1.07 to 36.0, 1.34 to 43.0 and 0.03 to 4.76 mg kg-1 soil, respectively. The categories of the soil fertility status were made with respect to N, P, K and S as medium, high, medium and low (M-H-M-L). The 64.71%, 93.01% and 25.37% soil samples were observed to be low in S, Zn and Fe, respectively. The results revealed that none of the samples were tested low in Cu and Mn and these are not a major problem in Alirajpur district. Correlation analyses among the above highly weighted variables were done to remove the redundant variables, accordingly OC and N, Fe and Mn, CaCO3 and Zn were highly correlated, and finally OC, Fe and Zn were retained owing to their high factor loading. The sensitive indicators (Minimum dataset) under the soils of Alirajpur District in descending order of importance as revealed by factor analysis were as follows: OC > Fe > Zn > B > EC > K > MBC.
 The sensitive indicators under the soils of Alirajpur district in descending order of importance as revealed by factor analysis were as follows: OC > Fe > Zn > B > EC > K > MBC. This suggests that these indicators may be used in future for characterizing the state of soil conditions of district. Soil quality index rating ranged from 0.22 to 0.31 under the different blocks and 0.22 for district as whole with l parameter soil quality index 0.31 for Alirajpur district.

Geospatial assessment of water quality using principal components analysis (PCA) and water quality index (WQI) in Basho Valley, Gilgit Baltistan (Northern Areas of Pakistan).

Public health quality in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) is at threat due to multiple water-borne diseases. Anthropogenic activities are accelerating the burden of pollution load on the glacio-fluvial streams and surface water resources of Basho Valley in Skardu district of GB. The present research has investigated the drinking water quality of the Basho Valley that is being used for domestic purposes. The study also comprehends public health status by addressing the basis drinking water quality parameters. A total of 23 water samples were collected and then analyzed to elucidate the current status of physico-chemical, metals, and microbial parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied and three principal components were obtained accounting 53.04% of the total variance, altogether. PCA identified that metallic and microbial parameters are the major factor to influence the water quality of the valley. Meanwhile, water quality index (WQI) was also computed and it was observed that WQI of the valley is characterized as excellent in terms of physico-chemical characteristics; however, metals and microbial WQI shows most of the samples are unfit for drinking purpose. Spatial distribution is also interpolated using the Inverse distance weight (IDW) to anticipate the results of mean values of parameters and WQI scores. The study concludes that water quality is satisfactory in terms of physico-chemical characteristics; however, analysis of metals shows that the concentrations of copper (Cu) (0.40 ± 0.16mg/L), lead (Pb) (0.24 ± 0.10mg/L), zinc (Zn) (6.77 ± 27.1mg/L), manganese (Mn) (0.19 ± 0.05), and molybdenum (Mo) (0.07 ± 0.02mg/L) are exceeding the maximum permissible limit as set in the WHO guidelines for drinking water. Similarly, the results of the microbial analysis indicate that the water samples are heavily contaminated with fecal pollution (TCC, TFC, and TFS > 3 MPN/100mL). On the basis of PCA, WQI, and IDW, the main sources of pollution are most likely to be concluded as the anthropogenic activities including incoming pollution load from upstream channels. A few underlying sources by natural process of weathering and erosion may also cause release of metals in surface and groundwater. This study recommends ensuring public health with regular monitoring and assessment of water resources in the valley.

Geospatial Assessment of Ground Water Quality and Associated Health Problems in the Western Region of India

Groundwater constitutes a significant component of freshwater resources in India being vital for its economy and domestic water security. The quantity, quality and accessibility of water resources forms the basis of balanced socio-economic development and its optimum utilization cannot be sustained unless its quality is assessed. The current study tries to access the quality and suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes in western drier parts of India in the state of Rajasthan. Based on collected data, selected hydro-geochemical parameters, the quality of water has been determined and Water Quality Index (WQI) have been prepared using GIS applications. Applying the Inverse Distance Weighting method, WQI values for 89 villages in the area have been computed, which ranged between 71.23 and 447.39. While 68% of the region had “poor water quality”, only 32% is sustained as ‘good water’ for consumption. The fluoride content ranging between 1.66 and 8.60 mg/L and TDS > 1000 mg/L with average pH levels > 7 (8–9 pH) were found to be very high amongst all the 12 water quality parameters taken for the study. The northeastern region with a WQI value of >250 had the worst water quality. Furthermore, the existing water quality is also examined for influencing two water borne diseases, i.e., gastroenteritis and fluorosis in the region. The study thus establishes that the majority of groundwater in the region is beyond the permissible safer consumption limits, and a large population of the region, which is directly dependent on groundwater sources, is prone to water borne health hazards. A significantly high correlation was observed between Specific Water Quality Parameters in the region and prevalence of gastroenteritis (and fluorosis diseases with R2 = 0.530 and R2 = 0.813, respectively).

Geospatial Assessment of Trace-Level Benzophenone-3 in a Fish-Bearing River Using Direct Mass Spectrometry

Geospatial Assessment of Trace-Level Benzophenone-3 in a Fish-Bearing River Using Direct Mass Spectrometry

Geospatial assessment of vegetation condition pre-wildfire and post-wildfire on Luštica (Montenegro) using differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) index

Wildfire is one of the most dangerous environmental stressors in most vegetation zones worldwide. Determining and monitoring this stressor is important because of the disturbances that occur during the burning of biomass in ecosystems, as well as because of the damage or suffering of organisms. In the last decade, a greater number of wildfires and burnt areas were recorded in Southern Europe and Montenegro. Therefore, it is important to develop optimal methodology and models to help in better management of forest protection against wildfire. The spatial component in firefighting plays a significant role in management. In this context, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) come to the fore, which analyze spatial data and turn it into useful information - models applied in practice. The study aims to geospatial assess condition of vegetation pre-wildfire and post-wildfire in study area of the Luštica peninsula in Montenegro during the summer of 2017. Open and publicly available Sentinel 2 satellite was used. The scaled index differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) of burned vegetation was applied as an indicator for assessing the state of vegetation after a wildfire in the open source software Quantum GIS (QGIS). The results of the damage assessment of the burned area based on the applied scaled index reveal that the category of low severity occupies an area of 335.86 ha (7%), moderately-low severity 250.13 ha (5%), moderately-high severity 406.22 ha (8%), high severity 238.03 ha (5%). The unburned areas occupy an area of 3624.95 ha (75%). This study contributes to assessing vegetation conditions and other accompanying activities pre-wildfire and post-wildfire using modern open-source geospatial tools.

Geospatial assessment on the changing pattern of geomorphology: A case study on the world’s largest river island Majuli

Majuli, the world’s largest inhabited river island, is bounded by the river Brahmaputra in the south, river Subansiri in the northwest, and the Kherkatia Suti (an anabranch of the river Brahmaputra) in the northeast. Because of its unique geographical occurrence and part of the vast dynamic river system of the Brahmaputra basin, it has faced erosion problems since historical times and possesses a significant concern. The paper aims to study the historical changes in bank line shifting around Majuli and the associated geomorphic changes using multi-temporal satellite remote sensing data spanning from 1975 to 2021. The observation has revealed a dramatic bank line shifting with an erosion rate of 2.41 km2/year and a deposition rate of 0.75 km2/year. An enormous shrinking of the geomorphic area occurs around the island, with 563.69 km2 in 1975 to 422.10 km2 in 2021. The annual rate of land degradation of Majuli island between 1975 and 2021 of 3.07 km2/ year. There is an urgent need for multifaceted approaches of effective spatial planning to protect this geoheritage from being further engulfed by the river Brahmaputra and Subansiri.

Geospatial Assessment of Site Suitability for Tilapia Cage Culture in Cross River State, Nigeria

Geospatial Assessment of Site Suitability for Tilapia Cage Culture in Cross River State, Nigeria

Geospatial Assessment of the Contributions of the Major Stakeholders to Secondary Schools in Some Parts of Benue State, Nigeria

This study assessed the contributions of the major stakeholders to secondary school education in some parts of Benue State using geospatial techniques. It aimed at producing a queriable spatial database of secondary schools which could be used as a guide for resource distribution and management in the school system. The study adopted, survey, field observation and measurement using Global Positioning System (GPS) to obtain the needed data. Geographic Information System (GIS) and descriptive statistical techniques were employed to map, visualize and analyze the data. The result shows that the private sector has the highest contribution to secondary schools in the area. In the private sector, the private individuals have the highest contributions to secondary school in the area both by ownership, sponsorship and size (student population). The implication is that the system will suffer exploitation by the dominant private individuals in the system. It was recommended that further research should be conducted to assess the relationship between government efforts and other stakeholders on the spatial distribution of secondary schools in the study area.

Geospatial assessment of seasonal water quality of Malad creek, Mumbai, India: An impact of sewage discharge

Water pollution of creeks and the marine environment is a serious concern across the globe due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Mumbai, being a densely populated industrial hub of India is facing the impact of sewage pollution in creeks and coastal belts. In this study, one of the polluted creeks of Mumbai namely Malad creek is considered a study area to assess the seasonal variation of sewage pollution with special attention to satellite image analysis and tidal characteristics. For this, in-situ sampling corresponding with the date and time pass of satellite images and spectral analysis are carried out to assess spatio-temporal variation in the water quality of the creek as well as establish a statistical relationship between image analysis and ground data. The purpose of this study is to avoid the limitations of monitoring point-specific data, inaccessible remote areas, labour intensiveness, higher expense, and unavailability of temporal data in the conventional method. The study provides an adequate, effective, and comprehensive way to assess sewage pollution in waterbodies and suggests future research work like the health assessment of marine organisms and threats in eco-sensitive zones of the coastal environment.

Geo-Spatial Assessment of Water Quality in Shigar Valley, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Geo-Spatial Assessment of Water Quality in Shigar Valley, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Geospatial Assessment Methodology to Estimate Power Line Restoration Access Vulnerabilities After a Hurricane in Puerto Rico

Limited access to transmission lines after a major contingency event can inhibit restoration efforts. After Hurricane Maria, for example, flooding and landslides damaged roads and thus limited travel. Transmission lines are also often situated far from maintained roadways, further limiting the ability to access and repair them. Therefore, this paper proposes a methodology for assessing Puerto Rico’s infrastructure (i.e., roads and transmission lines) to identify potentially hard to reach areas due to natural risks or distance to roads. The approach uses geographic information system (GIS) data to define vulnerable areas, that may experience excessive restoration times. The methodology also uses graph theory analysis to find transmission lines with high centrality (or importance). Comparison of these important transmission lines with the vulnerability results found that many reside near roads that are at risk for landslides or floods.

Geospatial assessment of mangrove distribution across the Niger Delta

Mangrove ecosystem is a most valuable ecosystem that renders various types of services. The Nigerian mangrove ecosystem is one of the largest in the world and most exploited yet it is still one of the most understudied mangrove ecosystems. Relative to other mangrove ecosystems, the Nigerian mangrove ecosystem has a low data quotient. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the distribution of mangrove ecosystem across the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in other to determine the nature of the distribution. Methodology: Geographical Information Systems, field surveys and statistical techniques were used to show the nature of the distribution of mangrove forest in the area. Results: The results show that there is similarity and no significant variation in the distribution of mangroves across the Niger Delta implying that most of the mangrove species are common to all areas in the Niger Delta. Also, the originality of the mangrove sustenance is threatened by the invasive Palm specie- Nypa fruticans. Conclusion: This study has shown mangrove distribution across the Niger Delta and has analysed the variation in the distribution to show that the distribution in similar. It has shown that the original red mangrove the Rhizophora family is threatened by its invasive neighbour the palm specie- Nypa fruticans which acts to alter the mangrove ecosystem by modifying the ecosystem as it increases thereby compromising the original ecosystem services of the mangrove ecosystem and compromising original mangrove integrity as an internal enemy. NDVI analysis has shown a <1 indicating low vegetation index which is readily attributed to anthropogenic vegetation depletion thus putting the mangrove sustainability at threat externally.

Geospatial assessment of urban ecosystem disservices: An example of poisonous urban trees in Berlin, Germany

Urban trees play an important role in green infrastructure planning for the ecosystem services they provide. These services include carbon sequestration, the provision of clean air through oxygen production and filtering of airborne pollutants, and the offsetting of the urban heat island effect by providing shade and cooling. In addition to the well-studied positive effects of urban trees, under specific conditions, there are some unwanted side effects that need to be considered. Such negative side effects, such as allergies caused by tree pollen, traffic hazards from falling trees or tree parts or damage from roots or branches in resource supply or waste disposal infrastructures, are termed ecosystem disservices. An ecosystem disservice that is not very often illuminated in the urban context is the presence of poisonous urban trees. This paper provides a spatially explicit view of the distribution of poisonous urban trees in the city of Berlin, relating the spatial distribution of the hazard from this urban ecosystem disservice with the conditions under which it can have the most damaging effect by considering nearby playgrounds and areas with a high population density of children under 5 years old, the most vulnerable group within the urban population.

Geospatial Assessment of Soil Organic Matter Variability at Sidi Bennour District in Doukkala Plain in Morocco

Geospatial Assessment of Soil Organic Matter Variability at Sidi Bennour District in Doukkala Plain in Morocco

Geospatial Assessment of Ambient Air Quality Footprints in Relation to Urban Landuses in Nigeria

Ambient air pollution is a global concern. It accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths yearly as a result of its ability to cause stroke, lung cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases. It has also been estimated that about 91 percent of the world's population lives in places, mostly urban centres, where air quality levels exceed World Health Organization (WHO) limits. Fortunately, efforts are regularly made in most developed countries to monitor and reduce the level of air pollution and ameliorate its negative consequences. Unfortunately, the case is not the same in most developing countries of which Nigeria is a member, as air pollution status is rarely monitored religiously. This study geospatially assessed ambient air quality footprints vis-à-vis urban land uses in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria. Data on emission level of CO, NO₂, SO₂, H₂S, and SPM_2.5 were collected for 6 months in both dry and wet seasons in the year 2020, using Crowcon Gasman, while point coordinates were collected using Garmin GPSMap 60CSx device. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) infrastructure was deployed to generate the ambient air quality maps for the metropolis. Descriptive and parametric analytical techniques were also deployed, based on the objectives of the study. From findings, F-ratio is significant for both season and land use for all the tested parameters (F-ratio for season is F(1,3224)=574.516, at p<0.05, while for land use, F(3,3224)=429.946, at p<0.05). The interaction between seasons and land use (season * land use) for all the parameters is also significant. It was concluded that there is a significant variation in air quality (CO, NO₂, SO₂, H₂S, and SPM_2.5) in Calabar Metropolis in relation to either land use types or seasons of the year. It was therefore recommended that there should be protection of residential land uses to avoid encroachment by incompatible uses that cause pollution.

Geo-spatial Assessment of Flood Vulnerability Areas of the Gaza Strip Towards Preparedness and Humanitarian Response Planning

Nowadays, flood and drought will become more common as climate change causes. Due to climate change consequences, flood occurrence and its impact on Gaza people have been of great concern to the Palestinian water authority, as it has a negative influence on various humanitarian and social issues. The hazards and damages resulted by flooding cause loss of life, property, displacement of people and disruption of socioeconomic activities. This research focuses on assessing Gaza Strip vulnerability to flooding using analysis of GIS-based spatial information. Not only did it consider the physical-environmental flood vulnerability, it also investigated social flood vulnerability aspects e.g., population densities. Soil and slope were considered to have the highest weight in the vulnerability mapping, as they represent the main factors in urban hydro-ecosystem structure. The long term average rainfall, a climate function factor, has the lowest weight, because it could be considered as a threat factor in addition to a vulnerability factor. This research demonstrates that urban area and population density as strong factors influencing flood vulnerability for humanitarian and saving life purposes. The findings of Geospatial analysis were used to map vulnerable areas likely to be affected in the event of flood hazard and suggest future interventions and related adaptation strategies in Gaza areas for flood mitigation.

Spatial assessment of land degradation using MEDALUS focusing on potential afforestation and reforestation areas in Ethiopia

AbstractEthiopia currently faces severe land degradation and desertification and has attracted increasing attention for international restoration projects. However, selecting appropriate potential afforestation and reforestation areas is challenging because of limited geospatial assessment tools on a national scale. Therefore, the globally used MEDALUS approach was applied to identify areas sensitive to land degradation and desertification, and indices were utilized to establish the main drivers from 2000 to 2019. The value of the environmentally sensitive area index (ESAI) ranged from 1 to 1.58. Addis Ababa, Afar, Somali, and Tigray had relatively high ESAI values, approaching the over 1.42 which regarded critical thresholds. However, the main driver of land degradation and desertification was identified as the management quality index (MQI) and the analysis of relationships indicated that the climate quality index, soil quality index, and MQI caused changes in the vegetation quality index. Increasing housing, agricultural transitions, and urbanization, were identified by on‐site visual interpretation. Even though some land cover changes and fluctuations of the indices existed on a national scale, the deforestation areas in Amhara, Benshangul‐Gumaz, and Oromia West have the highest priority for forest restoration projects. Thus, international attention to afforestation and reforestation clean development mechanism (A/R CDM) and reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is required to combat desertification and to secure land degradation neutrality in Ethiopia.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) poverty in India: A district‐level geospatial assessment

AbstractThe assessment of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) poverty among Indian districts is essential to accomplish the UN‐Sustainable Development Goal 06, ‘Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for all’, by 2030. The present study aimed to construct district‐level WASH poverty indices combining various indicators of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in two ways: ignoring and considering the geographical inequality. The study also focused on outlining the spatial dependence and heterogeneity of drinking water, sanitation, hygiene poverty, and overall level of WASH poverty among Indian districts using Moran’s I statistics. The results showed moderate to very high spatial dependence of every dimension of WASH poverty among Indian districts. The study also identified clusters of districts situated over central and eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, stricken with a higher level of WASH poverty. Alternatively, clusters of districts situated along the western coastal area, Capital City Delhi, and its neighboring states were identified with a relatively lower level of WASH poverty. The study suggests more government initiatives and investments for improving WASH conditions in central and eastern Indian districts to fulfill SDG 06 and reduce spatial inequality within the country (SDG 10).

Dynamics Qf Urban Growth And Environmental Challenges: A Case Qf Kolkata, India

The history of development of Kolkata as a megacity in India dates back to 300 years. The scenario changed when the administrative headquarter of the British East India Company was established in erstwhile Calcutta, located at the bank of the River Hugli in the lower Gangetic plain. Since its inception, Kolkata has undergone rapid formal and functional change. Both national and international migration has led to the demographic explosion, urban industrial development and an increase in economic opportunities which caused environmental degradation. Until 1793, the urban dynamics of Kolkata followed a linear pattern along the left bank of the Hugli River. A similar trend continued along the right bank from 1793 to 1947 and extended up to its periphery post-independence. In this paper, an attempt was made to explore the influence of river ghats on the urban environment along the selected stretch of the River Hugli. Human activities like garbage disposal (0.089), sewage disposal (0.088) and idol immersion (0.084) have a negative impact on the river water. Secondly, this paper attempts to study the vertical expansion of Kolkata. It has been observed that the average height of buildings in the CBD area is 84.6 meters while along the peri-urban area it is only 10.61 meters proving the distance decay effect (R2 = 0.405 and R2 = 0.314). Besides, the mean values of DQ (5.179mg/l), BQD (8.5mg/l) and CQD (34.5mg/l) in the river water reflect the degrading water quality for the aquatic environment. Geospatial assessment techniques were used to understand the research problems and combat the environmental challenges. Complex functional development and decaying urban quality of life along the Hugli River has led to critical environmental transformation.