Most African river basins lack flow data, a condition which has affected river basin operations. Flood is a common occurrence on the Sokoto basin but poor data base has affected various research efforts and flood mitigation attempts in the basin. This present study will study basin variables using a GIS approach with a few to gaining insights to the flood potentials of Sokoto basin. Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) image covering 5o-7o E and 12 o to 14oN was used in this study. The analysis was carried out using the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) and ArcGIS environments. Sinks were removed from the STRM, and the flow direction map was generated as an input for drainage extraction, river ordering and basin catchment extraction. Drainage network overlay was carried out on the generated hill-shade map and on a portion of SPOT image covering the Upper Sokoto catchment for visual analysis. Altogether, 44 basin variables were generated with a view to appraising flood and water resource management in the basin. The results showed that the Upper Sokoto basin is an alluvial catchment; located in a relatively low lying area where high level of deposition is experienced. It is sinuous in nature, circular in shape and compact. These characteristics coupled with the relatively high volume of precipitated water of 14,511,439,620 m³/year are indications that the basin has high flood potential. The paper recommends construction of levees to protect farmlands, efficient reservoir operation and sustainable watershed management for the purpose of environmental management in the Sokoto basin
Gudu, being a fringe local government area of Sokoto State of Nigeria, is in the heart of desertification zone of Nigeria where agriculture as the sole means of livelihood for the ever increasing population is endangered. The extent of the effect of desertification on the soil quality is unknown, and for sustainable livelihood, timely information on vegetation and soil resources of the area is of essence. It was therefore hypothesized that desertification has effect on the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and particle size. Objectives include assessment of vegetation condition of the area, vegetation change detection and identification of hotspots and assessment of soil properties in the hotspots. Biennial time series (1998 and 2014) of 1-km 10-day SPOT Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was subjected to Time Series Analysis (TSA). Vegetation change detection was carried out to isolate hotspots (improved and degraded areas) from which soil samples were taken. ANOVA was used to test for difference in the measured soil properties at P < 0.05. Results show a general reduction vegetation cover, typical of a semi arid environment. SOC was generally low but higher in improved vegetation areas. While the degraded areas were purely sandy, improved vegetation was either Sand clay loam or Loamy sand, indicating a relationship between SOC and soil texture. It was concluded that desertification had effect on the selected soil properties in the study area. Embarkation on massive afforestation programme and protection of existing forest reserves coupled with environmental education for the farmers were recommended.
This study assessed the nature of solid waste generation, its spatio-temporal pattern and existing management strategies in Sokoto metropolis. The greatest challenges facing cities in the developing world are; paucity of solid waste management and control. In the Nigeria context, solid waste management is characterized by inefficient collection, insufficient coverage of the collection system and improper disposal methods. In Sokoto metropolis, increase in population has resulted into accelerated of solid waste generation with pollution of all categories, and the consequent is dearth of modern management. The study used; selection of different wastes for observation, sampling-up four sub-soils at 0-30cm at random from each of the waste dump sites to determine not only for heavy metal concentrations but also for fertility supplement in comparison with the National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA). Also, fifty scheduled questionnaires were administered each on selected residents around dumped sites and to the staff of Town Planning Board to solicit for relevant information on government and its agencies effectiveness in disposal and management of waste. Landsat data was also used to map out the waste sites for spatio-temporal analysis from 1999 to 2016. Results are expected to inform major decisions makers and urban planners in order to promote a sustainable urban development for Sokoto metropolis and its environs. Keywords: developing world, protection agencies, Metropolis, urban planners, Sokoto
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.