Impact of Urban Growth on Green Space in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State (1975 – 2015)

Abstract

A green area in a city is an open space that is deliberately left untouched permanently. The trees, grasses and shrubs in a green area have special attributes associated with a planned city that nurture healthy living condition for the inhabitants of the city on a sustainable basis. The paper assessed the impact of urban growth on the green areas of Maiduguri city. Data was generated from the city plan and satellite images of 1975, 1986, 1999 and 2015 to determine the changing pattern of land use in the green areas. The study was conducted within an area of a 10 km radius that effectively housed the green areas of Maiduguri in 1975. The total area under study was 31,428 hectares comprising 3245 ha of green areas and 28,183 of other land use. In 1986 the green areas have reduced to 1889 hectares with a corresponding increase in other land use to 29,539 ha. The green area in 1999 has further reduced to 1114 ha with an increase of other land uses to 30,314 ha. The result indicated that the green area of 3,245 hectares in 1975 has virtually disappeared by 2015. At the same time, satellite images of the city suggest a progressive increase in other land uses (residential, institutional,
commercial/industrial and transportation). The results indicated a tremendous decline in the green areas of the city. This can be attributed to a lack of adherence to planning rules and regulation and the growing need for housing and other infrastructural facilities in the city. The paper recommends the need for land-use land cover monitoring to restore the green areas in the city, pragmatic physical planning intervention by the government, an all-inclusive approach to green area management involving NGOs, individuals, traditional rulers and advocacy to regain the cities green areas among others.

Keywords: Green Space, land use, Urban Growth