ASSESSING LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGES USING LANDSAT MULTI-TEMPORAL DATA IN LAPAI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NIGER STATE

Abstract

The development of the human population has shown that land is a crucial factor and is considered to be one of the most vital natural resources available. This observation raises concerns about the ongoing debates regarding the pressures exerted by humans on the land, leading to changes in its physical landscape and utilization. Hence, the aim of this paper is to assess the changes in land use and land cover dynamics in Lapai Local Government Area using Landsat multi-temporal data. Three Landsat imageries from 2001, 2011 and 2022 were acquired, pre-processed, classified and analyzed using ENVI 5.3 Image Analysis software, ArcMap 10.5 GIS Analysis software and Idrisi Terrset 2020 software. Findings from the study revealed that within the period under review (2001-2022), Built-up Areas 69.38 km2, Vegetation Cover 64.06 km2, Water Bodies 15.57 km2, and Agricultural Land 432.90 km2 have all experienced a positive net change. Meanwhile, Bare Surface experienced a negative net change with a loss of -581.91 km2. Remote Sensing and GIS are very essential tools for environmental monitoring.