AN ANALYSIS OF LAND USE/LAND COVER CHANGE AND RAPID POPULATION GROWTH IN ABUJA
IMPLICATIONS ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Keywords:
Land Use, Land cover, Population, Natural resourcesAbstract
Changes in land cover and use may not always indicate a decline in the quality of the land. Nonetheless, a multitude of changing land use patterns influenced by many societal factors impact the Earth's climate and ecology. The goal of the project is to examine how Abuja's rapidly increasing population and changes in land use and land cover may affect the city's natural resources. LandSat data from 1985, 2000, 2015, and 2020 were used to identify seven major classes. The research area's LULC change detection was produced using QGIS 3.12.3. Following processing, the tool consisted of frequencies, percentages and the area's conversion from square meters to square kilometres. In addition, a qualitative study was conducted with key informants in each of Abuja's six council districts utilising an unstructured questionnaire. According to the research, the percentage of land use that did not change between 1985 and 2023 are: forests (0.04%), grasslands (2.93%), wetlands (0.01%), croplands (8.85%), built-up areas (1.48%), water (0.01%), but bare land gradually disappeared. The results of the interviews also demonstrate that the land use/land cover has changed and that very few natural resources have remained the same, with the exception of greater build-up brought on by Abuja's explosive population development. Land use regulations and oversight, as well as their enforcement through government policies, are advised.