Socio-economic effect of gully erosion on land use in Gombe Metropolis, Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Gully erosion is one of the severe environmental problems facing Gombe metropolis. It threatens urban infrastructure, properties, lives and the physical growth of the town. This article assesses the socioeconomic effect of gully erosion in Gombe metropolis. The aim of the study was to assess the socioeconomic effect of gully erosion on land use in Gombe metropolis. Data used in this study were derived from field administration of questionnaire and focus group discussion. Three sampled gully profiles cutting across different land use areas were purposively selected for the study. They were referred as Gully A, transect FCE-Arawa-M/Inna-U/Uku Gully site; Gully profile B, transect Fed.lowcost-B/Yero-Idi-Herwagana-Idi-U/Uku Gully site and Gully profile C, transect Old/GRA-Gabukka-Barunde-Madaki-Bogo-Doma. From each gully profiles, 10% of the population around the gully site was used as population sample administering the total of 207 questionnaires in all the three gully sites under different landuse areas. Results obtained through questionnaires and focus group discussions was analysed, using simple percentage presented in different tables and discussed.The results indicated that several buildings, farmlands/plots and other properties worth millions of naira as well as both human and animal lives were lost due to effect of gully erosion in the study area.

An Empirical Survey on Damages Caused by Erosional Depositions on Farmlands along Jimeta-Yola Road, Adamawa State Nigeria

“…This result also conceived with the findings of [29], reported that in 2003, 3340 km 2 of deposited farmland soils (DFs) had been formed on the Loess Plateau of China (CLP), on which 1.67 billion kg crop yield per year was produce and the area of DFs and crop yield are expected to have doubled by 2020. The loss of land for cultivation is a serious social and economic consequence of soil erosion, given a situation where farming is the main occupation of majority of the people [4].…”

“…Pei Z., [29].The loss of soil fertility leads to steady decrease in crop yields and this make difficulties on the concern of the local farmers over their economic wellbeing [4]. At Garage farmlands Clay loam texture soils having a platy structure with soil pH (6.23), EC (0.012 dSm -1 ) organic matter (1.98%) having water holding capacity of (35%) with slow to moderate permeability were identified as depositional prosperities which relatively favors the production of rice as alluvial soils deposition.…”

“…Soil erosion, as a process of the detachment, transport and accumulation of soil materials from any part of the Earth's surface, plays an important role in research since it assumes the most significant position among the individual degradation processes [1,2,3]. Soil erosion is widely recognized as a major environ-mental and agricultural problem affecting many parts of the world [4]. The importance of soil erosion research lies in the protection of soil as a fundamental resource for human food supplies [5]; therefore, the understanding of soil erosion processes has important practical implications over large areas of the Earth [6,7].…”

“…Off-site cost of erosion is very high and can be considered is in form of sedimentation of reservoirs and irrigation systems, flooding of lowlands causing damage to crops and property as well as loss of lives [13]. Globally, soil erosion's most serious impact may be its threat to the long-term sustainability of agricultural productivity, which results from the 'on-site' damage which it causes Crops are particularly reliant on the upper horizons of the soil, which are the most vulnerable to erosion by water and wind [4]. There is great variety in soil conservation strategies, soil types, and physical environments: and the combinations of such factors of interest to land managers are too numerous, difficult and costly to investigate in all cases by direct measurement of soil loss and deposition [14].…”

Effects of Environmental Degradation on Urban Development in Enugu State

“…These erosions result in the formation of gullies which significantly degrade the landscape of the region. Deforestation is also a contributing factor to erosion in the region, as trees that would otherwise be able to withstand erosion are cut down, leaving the soil exposed to erosion (Danladi & Ray, 2014).…”