Context-Aware Slum Mapping in Sub-Saharan Africa Using Sentinel-1 Texture and Local Climate Zones
Accurate mapping of informal settlements remains a major challenge in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) cities because optical imagery often fails to distinguish Informal Settlements (defined here as LCZ 7) from spectrally similar formal Compact Low-Rise areas (LCZ 3). This study presents a context-aware, reproducible Optical-SAR framework that improves informal settlement delineation using Sentinel-2 spectral features and Sentinel-1 structural information within an adapted Local Climate Zone (LCZ) taxonomy. We implement a three-tier SAR integration strategy: calibrated backscatter, GLCM textures, and a physics-guided feature engineered to capture the high structural disorder and weak radar retur...
| Authors | Peterson Chepkilot, Babak Memar, Paolo Gamba |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CV |
| Published | 8 July 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 8 July 2026 |
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