Geospatial Analysis of the Impacts of Jibia Dam in Nigeria on its Surrounding Environment

Abstract

The impact of Jibia dam was assessed in relation to changes in land cover from 1986 to 2016. No previous work has covered such period in such extensive way using remote sensing method. Satellite images of 1986, 1990, 2003 and 2016 were acquired and classified into: Settlement, Jibia Irrigation Site, Water body, Forest, Farm land and Bare land. Jibia landscape is dominated by Farmland and bare land that covered over 92% before the dam construction, but reduced to 77%. The major changes occurred between the two dominate land use land cover classes (LULC). The creation of the dam and hence the Jibia Irrigation site accounted for 10% (3472 ha) of study area. Forestry presented a marginal decrease approximating but inverse of the settlement. The rate of change of LULC were marginal (less than 1%).The construction of the dam on farming activities remained between 51 to 65% with highest in 1990 (immediately after the construction), but after, it fell below the area of farming land before the dam.