Sugnificances of Geospatial Technologies in Natural Resources Management in Nigeria: An Overview

Abstract

Natural resources management is a worldwide phenomenon characterized with sensitive equilibrium between its components as a result of human and other natural activities. Nigeria is a country endowed with abundant natural resources that are waiting to be tap and the data updated. Geomatics is a field of activities which, using a systemic approach, integrates all the means used to acquire and manage the spatial data required as part of scientific, administrative, legal and technical operations involved in the process of the production and management of spatial information especially as affect natural resources. The paper critically appraises the applications of Geomatics in natural resources management in Nigeria with particular emphasis on integrated applications of Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS technologies. It was established that (i) resource inventories were carried out using Remote Sensing technology. (2)Land use-land-cover studies were also done by many scholars in different part of the country. (3) Geomatics data was used in the last population head count in 2006 (4) Need for use of Geomatics techniques for data capturing in agro-climatology for the development of agriculture. (5) There is the need to set-up early warning systems in disaster management and control. (6) Geomatics infrastructures is now being vigorously created and develops to cater for the needs. (7) There is the need for synergy between the public and private sectors in generation, development and usage of Geomatics data in national development effort. It is concluded that there is the urgent need to integrate Geomatics data in national development planning.

Keywords: Significances, geospatial technologies, natural resources management, overview.