In the Milieu of Planning: The Micro and Meso Scales Climatic Effects in Urban Neighbourhoods in Nigeria

Abstract

In several developing countries, urban centres are emerging at rapid rates. These urban centres are associated with increase in population as well as increase in social and economic activities resulting in the generation of huge wastes. They are also known as areas of intense constructions especially of buildings and roads. Most of these activities result in the cutting down of trees and deforestation thereby making surfaces to be bare or at best paved with bitumen or concrete. All these result in increase in temperature especially in areas within the urban centres without vegetal cover (treeless). This very much is the situation in many Nigerian urban centres including Lokoja North Central Nigeria. This paper posits and shows the contrast in temperature between neighbourhoods that have vegetal covers (tree communities) and those that do not have. It therefore highlights the benefit of the micro scale climatic effect of tree(s) on the meso scale climatic effect of a city or urban centre on itself. It further advocates for the greening of the study area (Lokoja) through the planting of trees, establishment of lawns, urban parks and gardens and the use of green roof options. This position is supported and based on the survey of local resilience strategies and measures used by the respondents and inhabitants of the study area in which 59% of the respondents make use of urban greening options among other coping measures such as lifestyle modification and building modification.

Keywords: Micro and Meso-Scales Climatic Effects, Temperature, Urban Heat Island, Thermal Discomfort and Resilience.