LAND USE/LAND COVER VARIATION AT A BRIDGED SECTION

ABSTRACT

Land use and land cover changes are driven by human population growth and urbanisation. This study was carried out to identify the change in land use and land cover around a bridged point of Ikpoba River, Benin City, Nigeria, along with the physicochemical properties of water from the river. Land use and land cover change analysis was done using images from Landsat 5 and 7 for the years 1991, 2002, 2012 and 2022 using ENVI 5.3 software. Water samples were collected from three sampling points around the bridge for three months. The findings of the study showed that there was a decrease in the forested areas, grasslands and water bodies between 1991 and 2022. However, the land areas of barren land and built-up areas increased. The assessed physicochemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, TDS, TSS and turbidity) were within the permissible limits stipulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). It is recommended that protective measures be implemented to protect the remaining forested areas while encouraging reforestation of barren lands.