The Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Flooding along Epie Creek, Nigeria: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach.

Sapere-Obi, Ladebi

Abstract

Flooding is becoming more severe due to changes in land use and the effects of climate change, posing a serious environmental threat to tropical developing countries like Nigeria. Nigeria's unique characteristics, including rapid population growth, urbanisation, inadequate planning, deforestation, and inefficient land use management, exacerbate this concern. The increasing frequency and scale of flooding incidents are partially attributed to changes in land use practices, which directly impact the well-being of people, their economic activities, and the environment.

Flooding is a global environmental issue, with its ramifications becoming more severe due to ongoing climate change. The Niger Delta region, particularly around Epie Creek, is experiencing increased frequency and severity of flooding due to rapid urbanization and significant changes in land use and land cover. These changes, including deforestation, conversion of wetlands to urban areas, and improper land management practices, disrupt natural drainage systems and exacerbate flood risks. Despite various flood management interventions, there is a lack of integrated, sustainable strategies that involve all relevant stakeholders, leading to ineffective flood mitigation and continuous environmental degradation.

This research focused on examining the effects of land use alterations on flooding along Epie Creek in the Niger Delta region, utilizing a multi-stakeholder approach to develop sustainable urban planning and flood management. It adopted an interpretive philosophical perspective and employed qualitative methodology, selecting the Saunders research onion model as its methodological framework. Single case study and survey strategies were employed with an abductive approach for the investigation.

To achieve the study's objectives, Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) techniques were utilized to generate land use and land cover information, rainfall, and flood risk maps. Semi-structured interviews were employed to address the other objectives of the study. The GIS analysis revealed significant deforestation and urban expansion in the Epie Creek area, leading to reduced natural drainage and increased flood risk while the stakeholders' interviews highlighted a lack of coordinated efforts, and insufficient infrastructure to manage flooding effectively.

This study contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive analysis of the impact of land use and land cover change on flooding, which advances the theoretical understanding of the interplay between urbanisation, land use changes, and flood risk. It introduces a novel multi-stakeholder framework that can be applied to similar contexts facing urban environmental challenges.

Citation

Sapere-Obi, L. (2024). The Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Flooding along Epie Creek, Nigeria: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach. (Dissertation). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Dissertation
• Deposit Date: Jul 30, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 25, 2024
• Keywords: Agriculture, Climate Change, Deforestation, Flooding, Land use Change, Urbanisation
• Award Date: Oct 24, 2024