Generally, vegetation change through the conversion of the world’s forest land to other uses has assumed an increasing scale due to the unprecedented growth of the human population which increases the demand for food and land. Some believed that decrease in vegetation in the area is attributed to oil exploration and exploitation activities only. This study aimed to find out the nature of the vegetation change in the region from 2000 to 2020. The data used was remotely sensed images as Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) observed by Terra-MODIS, downloaded via United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Simple Image Differencing was performed on two images (February 18, 2000 and February 18, 2020) using IDRISI software. The result shows that all the states in the Niger Delta region experience both positive and negative change in vegetation cover. The positive change was observed around locations where agricultural plantations exists and within urban areas followed by oil and gas exploration and exploitation that damage the natural forest cover, while negative change was observed around farms where intensive rainy season farming takes place. It was recommended that deforested areas in the region should be reclaimed by planting economic trees as plantation to enhance greenness and maintain balance of the ecosystem. If intensive farming is necessary, it should be practiced sustainably to save the environment.
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as river, lake or ocean, in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries, or it may occur due to an accumulation of rain water on saturated ground in an area. To find out the most vulnerable communities, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and location data of selected communities were used. The Image Re-class and Map Overlay were performed on QGIS software to identify communities that are most affected. The result shows that the region has no river channel that discharge excess water easily. It also shows that four, out of twelve settlements were located at the high risk zone. The settlements are Uniport, Omuoda, Omuahunwo and Okparagwa. It was recommended that the high risk zone in the area should be provided with artificial water channel that will contain and convey surface sun-off to a nearby stream. The local authority should relocate the affected settlements to a safer zone.
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