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High-resolution gridded population datasets: exploring the capabilities of the world settlement footprint 2019 imperviousness layer for the African continent

High-resolution gridded population datasets: exploring the capabilities of the world settlement footprint 2019 imperviousness layer for the African continent
High-resolution gridded population datasets: exploring the capabilities of the world settlement footprint 2019 imperviousness layer for the African continent
The field of human population mapping is constantly evolving, leveraging the increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery and the advancements in the field of machine learning. In recent years, the emergence of global built-area datasets that accurately describe the extent, location, and characteristics of human settlements has facilitated the production of new population grids, with improved quality, accuracy, and spatial resolution. In this research, we explore the capabilities of the novel World Settlement Footprint 2019 Imperviousness layer (WSF2019-Imp), as a single proxy in the production of a new high-resolution population distribution dataset for all of Africa—the WSF2019-Population dataset (WSF2019-Pop). Results of a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative assessment indicate that the WSF2019-Imp layer has the potential to overcome the complexities and limitations of top-down binary and multi-layer approaches of large-scale population mapping, by delivering a weighting framework which is spatially consistent and free of applicability restrictions. The increased thematic detail and spatial resolution (~10 m at the Equator) of the WSF2019-Imp layer improve the spatial distribution of populations at local scales, where fully built-up settlement pixels are clearly differentiated from settlement pixels that share a proportion of their area with green spaces, such as parks or gardens. Overall, eighty percent of the African countries reported estimation accuracies with percentage mean absolute errors between ~15% and ~32%, and 50% of the validation units in more than half of the countries reported relative errors below 20%. Here, the remaining lack of information on the vertical dimension and the functional characterisation of the built-up environment are still remaining limitations affecting the quality and accuracy of the final population datasets.
gridded population distribution mapping, large-scale population distribution modelling, World Settlement Footprint, percent of impervious surface, accuracy assessment, dasymetric modelling, sustainable development
2072-4292
Palacios-Lopez, Daniela
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Bachofer, Felix
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Esch, Thomas
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Marconcini, Mattia
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MacManus, Kytt
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Sorichetta, Alessandro
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Zeidler, Julian
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Dech, Stefan
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Tatem, Andrew J.
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Reinartz, Peter
a9610725-e18d-4abf-88c3-91b177b5b951
Palacios-Lopez, Daniela
420272b8-7376-4b7d-a092-bc28b3d847c5
Bachofer, Felix
f6455159-d579-4760-9ec7-828637d036dd
Esch, Thomas
0ebe775b-b9ef-4e31-9736-e097e8a8d5ff
Marconcini, Mattia
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MacManus, Kytt
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Sorichetta, Alessandro
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Zeidler, Julian
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Dech, Stefan
70ec6067-21e2-4cbd-86eb-79170bfce7c2
Tatem, Andrew J.
6c6de104-a5f9-46e0-bb93-a1a7c980513e
Reinartz, Peter
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Palacios-Lopez, Daniela, Bachofer, Felix, Esch, Thomas, Marconcini, Mattia, MacManus, Kytt, Sorichetta, Alessandro, Zeidler, Julian, Dech, Stefan, Tatem, Andrew J. and Reinartz, Peter (2021) High-resolution gridded population datasets: exploring the capabilities of the world settlement footprint 2019 imperviousness layer for the African continent. Remote Sensing, 13 (6). (doi:10.3390/rs13061142).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The field of human population mapping is constantly evolving, leveraging the increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery and the advancements in the field of machine learning. In recent years, the emergence of global built-area datasets that accurately describe the extent, location, and characteristics of human settlements has facilitated the production of new population grids, with improved quality, accuracy, and spatial resolution. In this research, we explore the capabilities of the novel World Settlement Footprint 2019 Imperviousness layer (WSF2019-Imp), as a single proxy in the production of a new high-resolution population distribution dataset for all of Africa—the WSF2019-Population dataset (WSF2019-Pop). Results of a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative assessment indicate that the WSF2019-Imp layer has the potential to overcome the complexities and limitations of top-down binary and multi-layer approaches of large-scale population mapping, by delivering a weighting framework which is spatially consistent and free of applicability restrictions. The increased thematic detail and spatial resolution (~10 m at the Equator) of the WSF2019-Imp layer improve the spatial distribution of populations at local scales, where fully built-up settlement pixels are clearly differentiated from settlement pixels that share a proportion of their area with green spaces, such as parks or gardens. Overall, eighty percent of the African countries reported estimation accuracies with percentage mean absolute errors between ~15% and ~32%, and 50% of the validation units in more than half of the countries reported relative errors below 20%. Here, the remaining lack of information on the vertical dimension and the functional characterisation of the built-up environment are still remaining limitations affecting the quality and accuracy of the final population datasets.

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Accepted/In Press date: 15 March 2021
Published date: 17 March 2021
Keywords: gridded population distribution mapping, large-scale population distribution modelling, World Settlement Footprint, percent of impervious surface, accuracy assessment, dasymetric modelling, sustainable development

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 456065
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/456065
ISSN: 2072-4292
PURE UUID: 8c82a0cc-fca3-4de4-8382-b2dc38694b8f
ORCID for Alessandro Sorichetta: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3576-5826
ORCID for Andrew J. Tatem: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7270-941X

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Date deposited: 25 Apr 2022 16:48
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:29

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Contributors

Author: Daniela Palacios-Lopez
Author: Felix Bachofer
Author: Thomas Esch
Author: Mattia Marconcini
Author: Kytt MacManus
Author: Julian Zeidler
Author: Stefan Dech
Author: Andrew J. Tatem ORCID iD
Author: Peter Reinartz

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