Geospatial Assessment of the Consumption and Absorption of Residential and Educational Land Uses of Zaria and Sabon Gari Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Human variables such as population increase and distribution, as well as economic expansion, have a strong impact on land usage. Zaria and Sabon Gari local government areas are endowed with various types of institutions that attract people from far and near to its space for studies and employments. This in turn leads to increase in population growth and the expansion of residential land use (LU). Thus, this study assessed the Land Consumption Rate (LCR) and Land Absorption Coefficient (LAC) of the residential and educational LUs using geospatial technique. The study analyzed Landsat imagery of 1987, 1999, 2006, and 2018. The study utilized a combination of quantitative (pixel-based) and qualitative (digitizing) methods of image classification for classifying the residential and educational LUs and biophysical covers. Quantitative assessment of the LU dynamics was achieved by the post-classification computation of LU dynamics, LCR, and LAC. The results revealed that residential LU occupied an area of 2594.25ha in 1987, 2815.15ha in 1999, 4042.54ha in 2006, and 8033.19ha in 2018. In the same vein, the educational LU occupied area of 2623.41ha in 1987, 2991.87ha in 1999, 3021.10ha in 2006, and 3093.75ha in 2018. The LCR values for residential LU were 0.555%, 0.468%, 0.579%, and 0.803% for the years 1987, 1999, 2006, and 2018 respectively. The LCR reduced from 1987 to 1999 and then increased from 1999 to 2018. The LAC values for the residential LU increased across the period of the study. The study concluded that the exploitation of the new lands for residential and educational LUs could be as a result of the demographic and institutional drivers of LU. The study suggested that the urban planning authority should develop planning measures that will regulate the already crowded residential LU in the study area.was transformation of rocky surface and waterbody into urban area, which was caused by population growth, human and agricultural activities in Zuru metropolis.