TITLE:
The Effects of Road and Other Pavement Materials on Urban Heat Island (A Case Study of Port Harcourt City)
AUTHORS:
Elenwo Ephraim Ikechukwu
KEYWORDS:
Effects, Road and Pavement Materials, Urban Heat Island, Residents, Port Harcourt
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.6 No.4,
April
13,
2015
ABSTRACT: Urban centers are consistently exhibiting higher
temperature than its surrounding suburban rural areas. The large amount of heat
generated from urban structures such as road materials and pavement materials
and other anthropogenic heat sources are the main causes of Urban Heat Island
(UHI). The sources of
data for this research included primary and secondary sources. Other techniques
employed for data collection were direct measurement and readings on the road
and pavement materials. The research found out that, there was consistency in rising temperature at
different time of the day by the different road and pavement materials. Asphalt
has the greatest effect of increasing the urban temperature four degrees
higher, followed by concrete, three degree rise in temperature, and earth
(ordinary ground) by two degree rise and vegetation (grass) by one degree rise
in temperature. The overall effect on the residents of the study
area ranges from increase in hotness of the day; 44.6% respondents agrees;
while 34.3% says it affects the ambient air quality of the area, and other
effects such as increased ground level ozone, suffocation, sleeplessness and
restlessness as a result of excessive high temperature especially at night are
identified in this paper. The research recommends the review or redesigning of the entire Port
Harcourt city Master Plan to make provision for creation of more green areas
rather than pavements and concreted areas to reduce the effects of (UHI) and
ultimately improve the comfort and living conditions of the people in a the
garden city Port Harcourt.