Spatio-temporal analysis of land use and land cover changes in Nguru Wetland, Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Rapid urbanization in Nguru has recently contributed to significant land use/land cover (LULC) changes, the purpose of this research is to study the spatio-temporal trends of LULC changes in Nguru LGA, Yobe State, Nigeria. The factors that contributed to LULC changes are: bio-physical impacts, desertification, sand-dunes encroachment, loss of vegetal cover, a decrease in bird population, climate change, the conversion of farmlands to built-up areas, accumulation of pollutants in flood risk disaster and decrease in annual rainfall. We used Multi-temporal Landsat data to analyze the LULC pattern in the study area based on 20 years data. Results showed a significant urban expansion, with built-up area increased from 446 hectares in 2001 to 768 hectares in 2011 and 2,483 hectares in 2021. The green area's land area decreased from 7932 hectares in 2001 to 6,404 hectares in 2011 and 365 hectares in 2021. These findings may provide a snapshot of the LULC trends from spatial-temporal perspective of which useful to the conservationists, urban planners, environmental managers and decision makers in implementing sustainable land-use management and strategies for the study area. The Nigerian government's environmental regulations for wetlands and lakeshore aimed to protect wetlands as habitats for various animal and plant species, ensure the conservation and responsible use of wetlands and their resources in Nigeria, and ensure water catchments are protected and floods are monitored.