The Effects of Road and Other Pavement Materials on Urban Heat Island (A Case Study of Port Harcourt City)

Urban centers are consistently exhibiting higher temperature than its surrounding suburban rural areas. The large amount of heat generated from urban structures such as road materials and pavement materials and other anthropogenic heat sources are the main causes of Urban Heat Island (UHI). The sources of data for this research included primary and secondary sources. Other techniques employed for data collection were direct measurement and readings on the road and pavement materials. The research found out that, there was consistency in rising temperature at different time of the day by the different road and pavement materials. Asphalt has the greatest effect of increasing the urban temperature four degrees higher, followed by concrete, three degree rise in temperature, and earth (ordinary ground) by two degree rise and vegetation (grass) by one degree rise in temperature. The overall effect on the residents of the study area ranges from increase in hotness of the day; 44.6% respondents agrees; while 34.3% says it affects the ambient air quality of the area, and other effects such as increased ground level ozone, suffocation, sleeplessness and restlessness as a result of excessive high temperature especially at night are identified in this paper. The research recommends the review or redesigning of the entire Port Harcourt city Master Plan to make provision for creation of more green areas rather than pavements and concreted areas to reduce the effects of (UHI) and ultimately improve the comfort and living conditions of the people in a the garden city Port Harcourt.