GIS Based Environmental Cost−Benefit Analysis of Built Environment at Dar es Salaam Coastline Metropolitan

Abstract

The hypothesis of global human population growth underpins fast urbanization of global landscape in various regions. Such trends promote built environment expansion, as such the desire for more and comfortable infrastructural place and space value for work, recreation and residence. Putting in place transport and social services connectivity between places and spaces altogether account for the loss of ecological resources. Inspite of this, little information is available on net ecological value benefits of built environment, in particular, on the rapidly urbanizing metropolitan of Dar es Salaam coastline. The study applied geographical information system techniques on Landsat satellite imageries for landuse landcover changes extraction; and globally recognized ecological indexes for valuation of ecosystem services. Furthermore, the use of annual population growth rate and real estate expansion rate underlined annual modulation on input variables hence input data for the subsequent years through the study period. Nonetheless, despite rising human population, expanding built environment and declining vegetation cover experienced along the coastline of Dar es Salaam metropolitan, the study findings displayed general declining trend of net ecological value benefits of built environment with an overall positive net ecological value benefits . This suggests that the metropolitan of Dar es Salaam coastline is still resilient to built–up environment development initiatives.