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Forest degradation occurs in natural World Heritage Sites (WHS) in the Global South despite the implementation of various strategic policies and the World Heritage Convention (WHC) on forest protections of the sites and this poses challenges to improve natural heritage sustainability. The current study aims to investigate spatial determinants of forest degradation in the Kilimanjaro WHS, Tanzania, to support strategic policies for forest landscape protection and natural heritage sustainability. Using remotely sensed, Digital Elevation Model, and tourism location data, we performed the supervised classification of satellite images, Digital Elevation, Euclidean distance, and linear regression modeling to identify spatial determinants of forest degradation. Our key findings indicated that while spatial determinants vary with different locations, human (tourism) activities e.g., developments of campsites, picnics, tourist routes, the historical site, and attraction areas are associated with forest degradation in the southern parts of the site. In addition to human activities, natural factors such as low levels of elevation and degrees of slope are associated with forest degradation at the site. However, in the northwest and southwest of the site, high degrees of slope are associated with the degradation. Our findings showed that while bare land surface encroached the primary forest with about 2.88%, moorland vegetation encroached the primary forest with about 16.95%, indicating a large degradation of the primary forest with about 19.83% for the past four decades. The information provided in this study is crucial to support site managers and decision-makers in strategic policies and WHC implementations on forest protection for natural heritage sustainability.
Urban planning implementation is a crucial process of urban planning to improve, attain, and maintain urban sustainability globally. However, the implementation process for land use demarcated for various urban functions is being confronted by various challenges in the Global South. This study aims to integrate questionnaire surveys of urban and regional planning experts and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in order to investigate the level of urban planning implementation of land use demarcated for various urban functions to support strategic actions for urban sustainability. Using Abuja, Nigeria, as a case study, an urban plan, urban impervious surface map, and questionnaire data were collected, and an integrated method analysis, including qualitative and quantitative (descriptive, Euclidean Distance Modelling, and Linear Regression Modelling) was deployed. Key findings show that the vast majority of experts in urban and regional planning perceive the implementation of all land use for various urban functions to be between moderate and very high levels, except that of industrial land use perceived to be between moderate and low levels. GIS findings show that, while land uses demarcated for transportation, commercial, educational, and institutional functions are positively and significantly associated with the urban impervious surface, industrial land use and urban green spaces are negatively associated. Findings show that abuse of official privileges by distorting master plans, political interference, compromise by public servants, and inadequate funding are key challenges for urban planning implementation on land use demarcated for various urban functions. The findings in this study are crucial for strategic decision makers in urban planning to improve the implementation process for various urban land-use functions and urban sustainability in the Global South, in general, and in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular.