Green Infrastructure as a Tool for Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects and Enhancing Climate Resilience in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Nigeria

Rapid urbanisation in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Nigeria, has intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect, heightening climate-related risks to human health, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. This study examined the effectiveness of green infrastructure as a tool for mitigating UHI effects and enhancing climate resilience in AMAC over 30 years (1994–2024). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, integrating multi-temporal remote sensing analysis of land use/land cover (LULC) and land surface temperature (LST) derived from Landsat imagery with long-term meteorological data and a structured social survey. Results indicate a substantial expansion of built-up areas accompanied by severe vegetation loss, leading to a marked increase in surface temperatures and a widening disparity between atmospheric temperature and LST. Ecological indices further reveal spatial polarisation between thermally stressed urban zones and fragmented cooling areas, reflecting limited connectivity and the limited effectiveness of existing green infrastructure. Survey findings corroborate these results, with residents identifying rising heat stress as a significant concern and pointing to governance, funding, and enforcement gaps as key barriers to green infrastructure implementation. The study concludes that while green infrastructure has strong potential to mitigate urban heat and improve climate resilience, its benefits in AMAC remain constrained by weak institutional integration. Strengthening policy frameworks, expanding interconnected green networks, and enhancing stakeholder collaboration are essential for sustainable urban climate adaptation.