In sub-Saharan Africa, storm surge zones are concentrated in four nations including Nigeria where half of the region's surge zones resulting from sea level rise and violent storms originate. This comes in an era in which Africa's coastline population will be at risk from sea level rise and coastal flooding over the coming decades. With much of Nigeria's urban population and economic activity located along the low-lying coastline, including the Niger Delta and portions of Lagos in the South west. Risk exposures will increase with population growth in these areas. Considering that significant levels of the country's CO 2 and CH 4 (carbon dioxide and methane) emissions come from the Southern region, the projected impacts of rising sea levels from warming temperature threatens several Southern states such as Lagos and others. Given the economic potentials of the coast, highlighting extreme climate patterns in the zone spatially, offers ideal opportunity for mitigation. While very little has been done to capture these concerns, the dangers from sea level rise, flood hazards and coastal erosion in the region has been exacerbated by different elements like human activities, greenhouse gas emissions and natural forces. Seeing the connections between sea level rise threats and many factors, there is a need for a mix scale model using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and descriptive statistics in order to enhance coastal environmental management strategies. Accordingly, this project focuses on a regional assessment of climate change hazards in Southern Nigeria with emphasis on the issues, trends, factors, impacts and efforts. In applying the mix scale tools, results show that the region is facing challenges with changes in climate parameters (land use, (GHG) Green House Gas emissions, precipitation patterns, sea level rise, flooding and rising temperature) due to pressures from socioeconomic and physical factors. GIS mapping of the trends also pinpointed the exposures in the major ecozones, vulnerability of surging population centers, the risks to oil and gas infrastructure in low lying areas and the intensity of rainfall and flood hazards. To remedy the situation, the study proffered suggestions ranging from the need for effective policy, growth management measures, installation of early warning systems to more use of GIS and the design of a regional climate information system to protect the study area.
The pace and pattern of various forms of land use change and degradation continues at alarming proportion in several areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Given the emergent risks, recurrent subsidence and erosions rank as permanent features in some areas of the continent like Nigeria. This exacerbates natural constraints on agricultural production and poor soil quality with damage to natural areas. The severity of gullies in all that, drive the destruction of vast areas in Eastern Nigeria due to intense farming and other elements. All these types of degradation cause declines in the productive capacity of land through reduced yields. For policy makers, the problem is difficult to determine precisely due to limited access to geo-spatial assessment as a decision support tool. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for regular use of such devices in assessing the severity of land degradation and change. To fill that void, this study analyzes land degradation issues in Eastern Nigeria with the latest advances in GIS and remote sensing technologies. Emphasis is on the issues, impacts, factors, efforts and remedies. In terms of methodology, the paper adopts a mix scale approach involving descriptive statistics coupled with geo-spatial technologies of GIS and remote sensing. The results from the use of these techniques point to widespread changes involving gains, declines and degradation in the region's landscape over the years. While the size of land types devoted to agriculture, bare soil, forest and urban land surged in the study area, bushland, grassland and areas covered by water declined from 2000 to 2017. The region also experienced greater threats from the exposure to recurrent land degradation as manifested with the occurrence of erosion hazards across various sites. The emergent spatial patterns not only revealed concentration of agricultural land class along the upland northern axis of the region along Ebonyi and Enugu and clusters of forest cover on the lower south part (Imo and Abia). GIS mappings showed the dispersion of erosion hazards in some of the states. With change attributed to a host of factors raging from competing land use made up of mining, agriculture, ineffective policy, poor conservation and environmental and physical elements. The paper suggested the need for education, effective policy, local participation, soil conservation and the design of regional land use information system as remedies.
In the last several years, the degradation of natural areas has been occurring at an alarming proportion. Open spaces that provide habitats to different life forms are being degraded because of improper management practices, contamination, and the desire to sustain societal needs for housing, transportation etc. In the process, habitat loss stands as one of the most significant threats to biodiversity and a major environmental problem facing society. In the literature, the loss, degradation and alteration of habitats are the primary factors responsible for the global disappearance of rare species of wild animals and plants. While some may assume that habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity are problems of species rich developing nations, it has become a serious problem in the United States (US). In the state of Mississippi, most of the bottomland hardwood forests and significant portions of thousands of acres of wetlands and streams have been degraded because of sedimentation and agricultural runoff fueled by intense farming activities. Notwithstanding previous mitigation measures, there has not been a substantial effort to examine these issues alongside current initiatives in habitat conservation in Mississippi. To fill that void, the paper examines the issues in wildlife habitat conservation as well as current initiatives with emphasis on the trends and factors using mixscale methods built on integrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and descriptive statistics. On the one hand, the temporal profile from the results point to changes in the form of gains and declines in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land areas with the Central and Northeast region outpacing the Southwest zones of the state coupled with degradation. On the other, GIS mapping of change, not only showed the concentration of vast natural areas dispersed statewide, but pinpointed clusters of habitats slated for restoration and mitigation. With changes attributed to unsustainable land use practices, policy lapses, limited education and poor monitoring, community efforts remain in high gear among stakeholders to ensure habitat protection. Accordingly, the paper proffered solutions based on the need for conservation, adherence to best management practices, education and support for local participation.
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