Geospatial Surveillance of the Degraded River KomaduguGana Area, Potiskum, Yobe State, Nigeria
Keywords:
River Komadugu-Gana, Potiskum, soil erosion, gully erosion, elevation profileAbstract
Geospatial techniques is used to survey the topography and assess the degradation in terms of the presence, spatial location and the magnitudes of soil and gully erosion around River Komadugu-Gana in Potiskum town, Yobe State. The main objectives of the study are to assess the topography of the area, assess the changes in river floor, determine the spatial coverage as well as elevation and slope of the river valley between 2005 and 2014 and to analyze the land use and land cover changes along the banks of the river valley within the period of study. Coordinates and elevation data generated from GPS were used to create DEM and 3-dimensional image of the area, while Google Earth Pro image of 2005 and 2014 of the study area are also obtained to derive the land use and land cover change of the area. The elevation profile module of the Google Earth Pro is used to generate and calculate the parameters of the river profile. The results of the study show among others that the eastern side of the river bank is more inhabited because of its undulating topography, while the western side with rugged topography had scanty built-up areas. Local flood control mechanisms such as construction of embankments and planting of shrubs were also found in the area. The position of gullies were also identified and mapped, while the landcover and landuse of the area were discovered to have changed due mainly to human activities. It is suggested that geospatial techniques can be embraced for proper environmental monitoring.
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