Abstract

RODRIGUEZ-MARIACA, Diego  and  HERNANDEZ-TORRES, Francisco Luis. Projecting population growth from DMSP-OLS nighttime satellite imagery in the four main cities of Colombia. Perspectiva Geográfica [online]. 2019, vol.24, n.1, pp.35-52. ISSN 0123-3769.  https://doi.org/10.19053/01233769.8087.

Nighttime imagery has been used since the 1990s and has enabled the study of urban settlement dynamics. Since population censuses are expensive and cannot be conducted regularly, DMSP-OLS imagery is introduced as an alternative to project population growth in the four main Colombian cities. These projections were made based on the digital pixel values of images before and after time calibration, as well as on relative radiance data. Cali and Barranquilla estimates are close to the population growth predicted by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) for 2005, while Bogotá and Medellín data show distortions that overestimated population sizes. Findings reaffirm the potential of these images to monitor population dynamics in Colombia.

Keywords : Colombia; urban development; NTL; DMSP-OLS; population projection; remote sensing.

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