CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2018
| Author | Nair, Shwetha Prabhakaran |
|---|---|
| Title | Assessment and Vulnerability Modeling of Vanuatus Mangroves using GIS and Remote Sensing |
| Summary | Mangrove loss has been reported globally at rapid rates and predicted to be high in the Pacific region due to the combined influence of anthropogenic pressures and climate change related pressures. In small island developing states like Vanuatu, mangroves play an important role in fisheries, alternative livelihoods, coastal protection and shoreline stabilization. Information on the present status of mangroves and spatio-temporal changes of mangrove cover are needed to develop any mangrove conservation program, coastal management and land use policies. For a country like Vanuatu which lacks robust current estimates of baseline mangrove cover, mangrove monitoring is a financially and logistically intensive process due to its multiple remote islands and lack of infrastructure. This study used remote sensing and geographic information science and a supervised maximum likelihood classification to analyze 20 Landsat data scenes to provide a comprehensive mapping of mangrove forests in Vanuatu at a resolution of 30 m. The results revealed a current mangrove area of 1987.56 ha of mangroves nationally and a loss of mangroves since 2001. This study also identified vulnerable mangrove areas that should be of conservation importance by identifying change drivers and developing a vulnerability spatial model. The results based on the vulnerability model revealed that 39% of mangroves are highly vulnerable. The results from this study are useful for developing the land use plans, setting up mangrove conservation targets, fulfilling the targets of multiple visions and plans of Vanuatu by 2030 and providing a template for monitoring and assessments in Vanuatu. |
| Supervisor | Viktor Lagutov |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2018/nair_shwetha.pdf |
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