Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Housing Quality in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria


Authors : Olutope Adeniyi Adewole; Ayokunle A. Akinmoladun; Wemomo Leyetunde Omoniyi

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 2 - February


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yc68s453

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/26dyhcbn

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26feb110

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : This systematic review assesses the impact of climate change on housing quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, by synthesizing evidence from 22 studies. The objective was to disaggregate housing into specific quality dimensions—structural integrity, material durability, thermal comfort, moisture control, sanitation functionality, and habitability—to precisely identify damage pathways and evaluate adaptation effectiveness. Employing a systematic literature review methodology, the study analyzed peer-reviewed and grey literature. Findings reveal a multi-hazard environment where intensifying flooding, extreme urban heat (with Land Surface Temperature increases up to 8°C), and sea-level rise systematically degrade all housing dimensions. These impacts are critically mediated by socio-economic inequality, tenure insecurity, and institutional failures, concentrating vulnerability in informal settlements. Current adaptation is predominantly reactive and maladaptive, with policy implementation gaps undermining resilience. The study concludes that effective adaptation requires integrated interventions that simultaneously address physical hazards and the underlying socio-economic drivers of vulnerability, advocating for targeted retrofitting programs, tenure-secure upgrading, and nature-based infrastructure to enhance housing resilience in coastal African cities.

Keywords : Climate Change, Climate Risk, Housing Quality, Urbanization, Port Harcourt

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This systematic review assesses the impact of climate change on housing quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, by synthesizing evidence from 22 studies. The objective was to disaggregate housing into specific quality dimensions—structural integrity, material durability, thermal comfort, moisture control, sanitation functionality, and habitability—to precisely identify damage pathways and evaluate adaptation effectiveness. Employing a systematic literature review methodology, the study analyzed peer-reviewed and grey literature. Findings reveal a multi-hazard environment where intensifying flooding, extreme urban heat (with Land Surface Temperature increases up to 8°C), and sea-level rise systematically degrade all housing dimensions. These impacts are critically mediated by socio-economic inequality, tenure insecurity, and institutional failures, concentrating vulnerability in informal settlements. Current adaptation is predominantly reactive and maladaptive, with policy implementation gaps undermining resilience. The study concludes that effective adaptation requires integrated interventions that simultaneously address physical hazards and the underlying socio-economic drivers of vulnerability, advocating for targeted retrofitting programs, tenure-secure upgrading, and nature-based infrastructure to enhance housing resilience in coastal African cities.

Keywords : Climate Change, Climate Risk, Housing Quality, Urbanization, Port Harcourt

Paper Submission Last Date
28 - February - 2026

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