Long-term Monitoring of the Environmental Impact of a Refugee Camp Based on Landsat Time Series: The Example of Deforestation and Reforestation During the whole Lifespan of the Camp Lukole, Tanzania

Abstract

This study deals with the long-term monitoring of the environmental impact of the refugee camp Lukole, Tanzania. Based on high resolution (HR) satellite time series of different Landsat sensors, the whole lifespan of the camp is covered, starting before the camp was established (1994) until seven years after the dismantling (2015). A fully automated preclassification approach for different Landsat sensors was applied, and the results were integrated into a post-classification object-specific change comparison to quantify de-and reforestation processes during this time. The second part of the study will focus on different visualization methods to display the changes throughout the whole study area over time.

Refugee Camp Monitoring and Environmental Change Assessment of Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Based on Radar Imagery of Sentinel-1 and ALOS-2

“…They make up about 630 hectares, which correlates well with the 572 hectares of forest decrease reported by Labib et al [35], who estimated the conversion A different form of change visualization is presented in Figure 7. This approach was originally suggested by Langer [116,117], who investigated landscape changes around the Lukole refugee camp in Tanzania based on a time-series of 42 Landsat images. For this study, squares of the size of 300 m width and height were generated, and the dominant landcover was assessed for each square and date on the basis of the determination of each square's mode.…”

Rohingya Refugee Crisis and Forest Cover Change in Teknaf, Bangladesh

“…Their research found that increasing IDP camps caused a considerable decrease in woody vegetation surrounding the camp area. Langer et al (2015) [34] monitored the long-term environmental impacts, including deforestation, of refugee camps using Landsat data in Lukole, Tanzania. The authors observed that the development of camps caused significant degradation of the natural vegetation surrounding the camps area.…”

Biodiversity conservation and armed conflict: a warfare ecology perspective

“…Algae, invertebrates, and fish in the Slovenia's Isonzo River, for example, still contain elevated mercury levels from munitions discharged nearby during World War I, and large swathes of mangrove forests defoliated during the Vietnam War have never recovered . Some postwar biodiversity impacts represent a straightforward continuation of effects begun during wartime, such as persistent deforestation near long‐term refugee camps, but others play out more subtly. The previously mentioned reduction in North Sea fisheries during World War II, for example, altered the abundance of various age classes for multiple fish species in a way that affected population dynamics for decades afterward .…”

“…152,153 r Persistent deforestation and elevated hunting levels near long-term camps for refugees and internally displaced populations. 151 r Persistent increase in hunting from proliferation of small arms. 139 r Lasting ecological effects from wartime impacts to wildlife populations and habitats.…”

“…The United Nations Environment Programme now conducts regular postwar assessments of war‐torn regions, and many humanitarian and reconstruction efforts have begun including environmental priorities as a matter of course . Examples related to biodiversity include reforestation near refugee camps in Tanzania, Cameroon, and Sudan, and local involvement in the postwar recovery and management of protected areas in Ethiopia, Liberia, Nepal, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. In some cases, buffer zones and other contested areas have been successfully set aside as permanent “peace parks,” establishing biodiversity conservation as a recognized tool for postwar compromise and cooperation .…”