Estudio exploratorio de la calidad ambiental en entornos urbanos, caso de estudio de la ciudad de Guayaquil

Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this study was to describe the environmental quality of the city of Guayaquil using remote sensing data and to propose improvement strategies. Images from Landsat 8 and Sentinel 5P, corresponding to the year 2024, were used. Using Landsat 8, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Building Difference Index (NDBI), and Land Surface Temperature (LST) were calculated as proxies for environmental quality, enabling integration of the Composite Environmental Quality Index (ICAU). The results were combined with socioeconomic variables to perform zoning using clustering. Subsequently, an exploratory analysis of atmospheric pollutants was conducted. The results indicate that the more consolidated areas, such as the center, north, and southwest of the city, have sparse vegetation, higher building density, and elevated temperatures, leading to the urban heat island effect, while the peripheral areas to the northeast and southeast show slightly better conditions, with predominantly herbaceous vegetation. Similarly, the spatial distribution of air pollutants is linked to urban consolidation and land use.