Spatio- Temporal Land Use Dynamics of Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IX, September 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Spatio- Temporal Land Use Dynamics of Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria

Okwakpam, Ikechi Omenuihu & Mark Emmanuel O.
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Ignatius Ajuru University of Education
Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt,
Rivers State, Nigeria.

Abstract: Assessing spatio-temporal dynamic of land use of Port Harcourt Metropolis is very important. Such assessment provides basic information for appropriate decision-making. Utilizing quasi-experimental design of satellite images of Port Harcourt Metropolis between 1990 to 2020, the study identified built up area, waterbodies, farmland/sparse vegetation as the land use type. The study revealed that percentage change of waterbodies is 48.62 km2 (10.61%) and built up area landuses 213.09 km2 (46.50%); respectively increased in terms of areal extent while thick vegetation 89.13 km2 (19.45%) ,wetlands size 44.61 km2 (9.74%) and farm/spares vegetation land uses continued to decrease between 2000 and 2020. The results not only confirmed the applicability and effectiveness of the combined method of remote sensing and metrics, but also revealed notable spatio-temporal features of land use. The study indicates that the increase rate of built up area and other land use types are continuously at opposite direction due to urban expansion or urban sprawl. The study recommended that; adequate and continuous monitoring of landuse should be made by utilizing satellite remote sensing; there should be adequate land use planning and conservation management in the study area.

Key Words: Spatio, Temporal, Land use, dynamics, Port Harcourt

I. INTRODUCTION

Land use change has emerged as a phenomenon and the most significant anthropogenic activity affecting the urban structure through demographic pressure, changes in technology, state policy, and economic leading to urban stress and ecological imbalance. The extent and effects land use change is occurring without corresponding public policy planning to cope with the very rapid rate of change in most cities such as Port Harcourt is alarming. The current imprint on land use in Port Harcourt Metropolis is obvious and suffers from disproportionate landuse burden because of the unique and sensitive developmental activities, which the inhabitants neither inspire nor desire these developmental processes and experience great difficulty in adapting to the situation and, which often instead of leading to an overall enhancement, in fact in most cases exert adverse impacts on urban environment and considerable socio-economic damage to the inhabitants (Okwakpam & Epelle, 2013).
Land is the most valuable resource that encourages man’s existence on earth. Land describes the way and purpose for which human beings exploit the land and its resources. In

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