SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF URBANIZATION ON RATE OF WETLAND LOSS IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS
Amadi, O. M. P*., Youdewei, P*. & Ogbuji, S. I
*Institute Geosciences and Environmental Mgt, Rivers State University, Port-Harcourt
Dept. of Geography and Environmental Management, Imo State University Owerri.
Email: sogbujiic@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Urbanization is usually accompanied with the alteration or destruction of the ecosystem, including wetlands. The rate of urbanization in Port Harcourt Metropolis and loss of wetland calls for proper evaluation in order to ascertain the rate and actual amount of wetlands lost to urbanization so as to arrest or reduce to barest minimum this ugly trend. Data were collected through satellite imagery of the study area and GPS. The data were analyzed using Geographic Information System techniques (GIS). The findings showed that the major land-use types identified in the study alongside wetlands include built up area, water bodies, farmland/sparse vegetation. The findings from the study revealed that in 1990 wetland occupied a spatial extent of 123.23 km2(26.89%) of the land use of the study area. Consequently, in the year 2020, there was dramatic change as wetland size reduced to 44.61 km2 (9.74%) of the total land-use of the study area. Conversely, built up area (Urban sprawl) increased dramatically in 1990 from 85.14 km2 (18.58%) to 213.09 km2 (46.50%) in 2020.This concludes that urbanization and variation in wetland loss will continuously have an inverse relationship and wetlandsin the verge of being completely lost with time due to urban expansion or urban sprawl. The study recommended that adequate and continuous monitoring of wetlands by use of satellite and remote sensing should be encouraged in the study area.
Keywords: Spatial analysis, Urbanization, Wetland loss, Port Harcourt Metropolis
