Influence of Land Use Land Cover Change on Urban Heat Island Intensity in Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State

Abstract

Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a growing environmental challenge in rapidly urbanizing regions, particularly in developing cities. This study investigates the influence of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes on UHI intensity in Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State, using geospatial techniques and correlation analysis. Ground coordinates and Landsat TM, ETM+, and OLI satellite images from 1992, 2002, 2013, and 2022 were acquired for this research. The Ground coordinates were used for ground truthing and for accuracy assessment. The Landsat images were processed to produce the Land Use Land Cover maps and UHI maps for years 1992, 2002, 2013, and 2022. LULC classes considered include built-up areas, bareland, grassland, and shrubland. The results revealed a strong positive correlation between UHI and both built-up areas (r = 0.885) and bareland (r = 0.771), indicating that urban expansion and surface exposure significantly intensify local temperatures. Conversely, grassland (r = –0.924) and shrubland (r = –0.6387) exhibited negative correlations with UHI, confirming their cooling influence. The findings underscore the impact of vegetation loss and land surface modification on the thermal dynamics of Ikeja. This study emphasizes the need for sustainable urban planning strategies that integrate green infrastructure and vegetation conservation to mitigate UHI effects in Lagos and similar urban settings.