Evaluating Heat Vulnerability in Kinshasa, DR Congo: A GIS-Based Study Using Open-Source Geospatial Data

Evaluating Heat Vulnerability in Kinshasa, DR Congo: A GIS-Based Study Using Open-Source Geospatial Data

Authors

  • Christian C. Oluoma University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
  • Michael B. Onyango University of Nairobi, Kenya; Center for Ecosystem Restoration, Kenya
  • Godfrey Nengai University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Oluwafemi B. Obe University College, Dublin, Ireland
  • Jumoke Omodeni Eco Science Generation Initiative, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62049/jkncu.v5i2.304

Keywords:

Heat Risk, Land Surface Temperature, Vulnerability Assessment, Climate Change, GIS

Abstract

Heat stress poses significant and unexpected dangers, particularly in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where comprehensive heat risk assessments are lacking. In Central Africa, there has been little effort to investigate intra-city heat risk patterns due to limited data and computational resources at the institutional level. This study addresses this gap by synthesizing open-source geospatial datasets, including high-resolution land surface temperature data from Landsat, to map health-related heat risk in Kinshasa, DRC. Using a quantitative risk framework that integrates hazard, exposure, and vulnerability components, the analysis was conducted in open-source QGIS software and Google Earth Engine. The findings reveal a heat risk gradient that systematically decreases outward from the city center. Urban areas exhibit medium to high heat risk, while suburban and rural areas display low and very low risk. This pattern underscores the influence of factors such as the distribution of socioeconomic status, age demographics, population density, and vegetation coverage on heat risk. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers to develop targeted heat adaptation and mitigation strategies tailored to the most vulnerable areas of Kinshasa.

Author Biographies

Christian C. Oluoma, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Department of Geoinformatics & Surveying

Michael B. Onyango, University of Nairobi, Kenya; Center for Ecosystem Restoration, Kenya

Department of Land Resources Management and Agricultural Technology

Godfrey Nengai, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Department of Physics

Oluwafemi B. Obe, University College, Dublin, Ireland

School of Geography

Jumoke Omodeni, Eco Science Generation Initiative, Nigeria

Center of Learning, and Research

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Published

2025-07-30

How to Cite

Oluoma, C. C., Onyango, M. B., Nengai, G., Obe, O. B., & Omodeni, J. (2025). Evaluating Heat Vulnerability in Kinshasa, DR Congo: A GIS-Based Study Using Open-Source Geospatial Data. Journal of the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.62049/jkncu.v5i2.304

Issue

Section

Natural Sciences
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