Comparative Detection of Infrastructural Land Conversion Dynamics in a Nigerian City Using Space Technology

Abstract

Land use and Land cover dynamics is a major feature of human presence and existence. In and around Owerri Metropolis, in Southeastern Nigeria, land conversion for infrastructural facilities is dominant. This study assesses the conversion rate and classes of land for infrastructure. Landsat TM 86 and ETM+ 2000 were used to detect and map the infrastructural LU/LC dynamics. The imageries were analyzed at the scales of 1:250,000 and 1:150,000. The result showed significant shifts in the aggregate conversion for infrastructures and vice versa, given varieties of forcing agents. Aggregate built up class went up from 438.04 sq. km to 543.88 sq. km between 1986 and 2000. Annual mean coverage rate is about 7.56 sq. km [5.8%] within the study period. The PAVM for the periods were presented as 15.7% and 10.8% respectively. This shows that Land use and Land cover were massively converted into and from infrastructural class.

Key words: land use, land cover, satellite imagery, infrastructure, land
conversion.