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Through the Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR) initiative a substantial amount of effort and international attention has been focused on the reduction of gas flaring since 2002 (Elvidge et al., 2009). Nigeria is rated as the second country in the world for gas flaring, after Russia. In an attempt to reduce and eliminate gas flaring the federal government of Nigeria has implemented a number of gas flaring reduction projects, but poor governmental regulatory policies have been mostly unsuccessful in phasing it out. This study examines the effects of pollution from gas flaring using multiple satellite based sensors (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+) with a focus on vegetation health in the Niger Delta. Over 131 flaring sites in all 9 states (Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers) of the Niger Delta region have been identified, out of which 11 sites in Rivers State were examined using a case study approach. Land Surface Temperature data were derived using a novel procedure drawing in visible band information to mask out clouds and identify appropriate emissivity values for different land cover types. In 2503 out of 3001 Landsat subscenes analysed, Land Surface Temperature was elevated by at least 1 ℃ within 450 m of the flare. The results from fieldwork, carried out at the Eleme Refinery II Petroleum Company and Onne Flow Station, are compared to the Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ data. Results indicate that Landsat data can detect gas flares and their associated pollution on vegetation health with acceptable accuracy for both Land Surface Temperature (range: 0.120 to 1.907 K) and Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (sd ± 0.004). Available environmental factors such as size of facility, height of stack, and time were considered. Finally, the assessment of the impact of pollution on a time series analysis (1984 to 2013) of vegetation health shows a decrease in NDVI annually within 120 m from the flare and that the spatio-temporal variability of NDVI for each site is influenced by local factors. This research demonstrated that only 5 % of the variability in δLST and only 12 % of the variability in δNDVI, with distance from the flare stack, could be accounted for by the available variables considered in this study. This suggests that other missing factors (the gas flaring volume and vegetation speciation) play a significant role in the variability in δLST and δNDVI respectively.

Orientador: Lindon Fonseca Matias / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T15:23:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bargos_DanubiaCaporusso_M.pdf: 10788949 bytes, checksum: eee5f3b14a76fab722ec7d4713090754 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: A presente dissertação teve como objetivo contribuir para os estudos geográficos relacionados ao planejamento urbano com o mapeamento e análise das áreas verdes urbanas como um indicador da qualidade ambiental urbana, por meio da utilização de técnicas de geoprocessamento, a fim de subsidiar políticas públicas para a cidade de Paulínia-SP. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho mostrou-se eficiente para o mapeamento e análise da configuração espacial das áreas verdes urbanas do município. O mapeamento de tais áreas permitiu constatar que sua distribuição se dá de forma heterogênea no município, e que em sua grande maioria se apresentam na forma de pequenos fragmentos de vegetação arbórea remanescente. Os resultados indicam que o município tem apresentado uma acentuada redução da vegetação natural desde a sua emancipação, e como consequência possui um reduzido número de áreas verdes na área urbana. A diminuição da vegetação natural, assim como das áreas verdes urbanas, é entendida como apenas um dos diversos problemas resultantes do processo de apropriação desigual do espaço no município de Paulínia. O cálculo dos índices de áreas verdes por habitante em cada setor censitário possibilitou uma análise diferenciada da disponibilidade de áreas verdes por habitante no município. A espacialização das áreas de influência das áreas verdes urbanas em Paulínia revelou a carência destas áreas em algumas localidades da cidade e a necessidade de proteção das áreas verdes urbanas, visto à extensão das áreas que estas podem beneficiar por meio das suas funções ecológicas, estética e de lazer. A análise detalhada de três áreas verdes em Paulínia revelou a importância das análises de caráter qualitativo no estudo das áreas verdes do município. A pesquisa ajudou a constatar a importância das funções das áreas verdes para a qualidade ambiental urbana / Abstract: This work had as objective contribute to studies related to spatial planning thorough the mapping and analysis of urban green areas as urban environmental quality indicator using geospatial technologies to support public policies to the Paulinia city, state of São Paulo. The methodology used in this study was effective for mapping and analysis of the spatial configuration of urban green areas of the city. The mapping of these areas revealed that its distribution is heterogeneous, and that the majority is in the form of small fragments of woody vegetation remaining. The results indicate that the city has shown a high reduction of natural vegetation since their emancipation, and consequently presents a low quantity of green areas in urban areas. The decreasing of natural vegetation rate, as well as urban green areas, is only seen as one among many problems which have been arisen as resulted of the space unequal appropriation process in Paulínia. The calculation of green areas rates per inhabitant in each census tract allowed a differentiated analysis of availability of green areas per inhabitant in the city. The spatial distribution of influence areas of urban green areas in Paulinia revealed the lack of these areas in some localities and the need for protection of green areas, since the extent of these areas that may benefit through their ecological functions, aesthetic and of leisure. A detailed analysis of three green areas in Paulínia revealed the importance of qualitative analysis in the study of green areas of the city. The research helped establish the importance of the functions of green areas for urban environmental quality / Mestrado / Análise Ambiental e Dinâmica Territorial / Mestre em Geografia