Assessment of Arable Land Loss Due to Urbanization Using Remote Sensing and Gis: A Study of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Author(s)

Musa, Ismaila Tudunwada , Owa O , Vivan, Ezra Lekwot ,

Download Full PDF Pages: 05-14 | Views: 919 | Downloads: 239 | DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3427205

Volume 4 - January 2015 (01)

Abstract

Urbanization is threatening the limited arable land in Nigeria, this study assessed the arable (cultivated) land loss due to urban growth in Jos South Local Government Area from 1993-2013. The study utilized data from field surveys, remote sensed data and geographical information system technique, four main methods of data analysis were adopted in this study namely calculation of the Area in hectares of the resulting land use/land cover types for each study year and subsequently comparing the results, Markov Chain and Cellular Automata Analysis for predicting change, Overlay Operations and Maximum Likelihood Classification. The results of the study show that built up areas in 1993 occupied the least among the total land area with about 9.45% coverage representing 4833.6 hectares, Jos South Local Government Area recorded increase in spatial growth between 1993 to 2013 as built up area increased in 2013 with 18.74% coverage representing about 9589.29 hectares with a difference of 4755.69 hectares. The pattern of growth in between 2003 and 2013 recorded an exponential increase compared to that of 1993 to 2003, as it recorded about 6.74% a difference of 3456.78 hectares from that of 1993 to 2003 that recorded about 2.53% a difference of 1298.88 hectares. Arable lands are gradually on the decline as both vegetation and rock outcrop have given way to built-up areas.  From the projection made on land use coverage in the study to the year 2023 it is obvious that there will reduction in arable lands. Jos South local Government Area is largely a producer of  tuber, vegetables and grains and the alarming rate of development mostly attributed to rapid population increase, migration and improvements in the standard of living of the people due to commerce, its status as a local council headquarters are the major determinants of loss in arable lands which in the nearest future will sharply reduce the agricultural output of Jos South Local Government  Area, It can be concluded that the urbanization is one of the dominant degradation process in Jos South Local Government Area. Recommendations were put forward by the study to reduce the loss of arable land to other landuses due to urbanization in the study area

Keywords

 Arable land, Urban growth, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), 

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