GIS and Remote Sensing Analysis of the Impact of Land use Land Cover Change on Forest Degradation: Evidence from the Central Part of Taraba State, Nigeria

Forest is a fundamental, significant, and valuable component of a sustainable environment. Ecosystem services, biodiversity development, and economic growth in any nation depend on the proficient use of forests and their resources. However, deforestation has remained the single most important environmental phenomenon threatening the existence of the forest environment in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the exploitation of forestland in the central zone of Taraba state using GIS and remote sensing techniques. The satellite imageries used are Lands at imageries of 2006, 2012, and 2018. Ground Control points (GCPs) were obtained from Google earth to validate the coordinates of the classified imageries. The result obtained from 2006 classification showed that thick forest occupied the total of 1685448.99 ha equivalent to 80.38% and was the highest land cover suffering a decline in the area amounting to 694696 ha which equals to 33.13% in 2018. The pattern of land cover changes at the early stage was restricted to dissection and perforation in 2006. A remarkable expansion of bare land patches accompanied by total attrition of thick forest was identified due North in Bali local government area as compared to Gashaka and Kurmi local governments that have fragmented and little shrinking pattern of changes from 6.87% in 2006 to 37.65% in 2018. This shows that; as bare land increases, thick forests keep on decreasing within thirteen (13) years. It was recommended that increased reforestation efforts, sensitization and periodical campaigns against deforestation, and redesign of the existing forestry laws by the state government to curtail incessant incidents of deforestation in the study area be undertaken.

Potable Water Accessibility in the Slums of Douala IV Municipality, Cameroon

The proliferation of slums in sub-Saharan Africa validates the need for renewed interest on access to basic services–potable water in this case. In the context of Bonaberi Douala, recent evidence on potable water accessibility is lacking, amidst rising population growth. To close this knowledge gap, this paper draws from a sample of 1115 households in 8 neighborhoods of Bonaberi to: (1) assess potable water accessibility and (2) examine the regularity of water flow. The results revealed that only 51.3% of slum dwellers have pipe water connections, while 33.4% rely on public standpipes. Furthermore, 28.4% make use of boreholes, while 46% use rainwater. About 12.5% of the population cover a distance of more than 200 m to fetch water. The pattern of water flow in several neighbourhoods is irregular; this precipitates the spread of waterborne diseases. The paper recommends that a control committee should be set aside to check water quality and reduce the spread of water-related diseases. The government and other local stakeholders should promote community water projects that can supply potable water in these slums.

Access to Public Healthcare Services in Urban Areas in Nigeria: The Influence of Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Urban Population

Background: Ensuring access to healthcare facilities is a high priority need in developing countries. This research aimed to determine the influence of socio-demographic and economic characteristics of the urban population in Nigeria to access to public healthcare facilities. Methods: We conducted a community-based study in 400 households across the three urban areas of Gombe state, Nigeria. Access to healthcare facilities was quantified in a composite index which considers availability, accessibility and affordability. The head of families was interviewed for information related to access and for the socio-demographic and economic status of the residences. The influence of socio-demographic and economic characteristics was determined using a chi-square test with a significance level of <0.05. Results: Most of the population interviewed within the selected urban areas had good access (84%) to public healthcare facilities. Socio-demographic and economic characteristics of household representatives such as age (p = 0.02), religious status (p = 0.00), level of education (p =0 .00), employment (p = 0.00) and possession of healthcare insurance (p = 0.00) were found to significantly influence access to healthcare facilities in urban areas. Conclusion: Access to public healthcare facilities within the urban areas was good and the study revealed some modifiable socio-demographic and economic factors that influence access. We recommend the intervention to address the factors to further improve access to public healthcare facilities and to achieve universal healthcare coverage.

Stakeholders’ Interactions and Land Management Options in Bui Division, North West Region of Cameroon By

The lucid engagements of stakeholders in land management is an essential strategy in circumventing the stakes of land utilisation. This is symptomatic in ecumenes of intricate ecological traits with diverse stakeholders’ management interests. Bui Division of the North West Region of Cameroon, a citadel of stakeholders enmeshed and is manning their respective lands with signatures of rare plausible interaction options in a decentralisation framework. As such, the study sought to assess the stakeholders’ interaction options for land management in Bui Division. A historical and comparative research designs were used to obtain primary and secondary data from 1971-2021. This was through questionnaires, formal and informal interviews from 16.9% of population in 505 households and direct observations with consultation of published and unpublished documents. Data was analysed using inferential statistics with the Anova Test at 0.05 at a critical level and a df of 7 to determine the significant differences in stakeholders’ interaction options for land management. The results reveal the calculated values of 0.9, 8, 3.9, 3.6 and 8.3 higher than the tabulated ratios of 0.65, 0.000, 0.001, 0.002 and 0.000 respectively. This indicates that there were significant differences in stakeholders’ interaction options in land management based on stakeholders’ activities and interests. Multiple stakeholders’ collaborative and participatory interaction options were positively apt in diverse sectors of land management. The study posits that participatory interaction through multi-stakeholders’ involvements and collaborations are the best options to minimise the deprived perceptions of under representation of some stakeholders in land management platforms in Bui Division.

Evaluation of Different WQI Methods for Drinking Water Assessment with a Case Study of Groundwater from Vizianagaram District, AP, India

Application of Water Quality Index (WQI) to assess the water quality for drinking water suitability and intensity of contamination is in practice worldwide. Many WQI methods have been in use since their conceptualization, and some are country-specific or use-specific. A generalized and widely acceptable method that can project ground truths in non-dimensional numerical form to evaluate the water quality, especially for drinking uses, is lacking. Complexity and disagreement among different methods are adding to incongruence among the scientists. The concept and a simple calculation method of WQI are deliberated. Five different WQI methods using water chemistry results of Vizianagarm District are discussed. The WQI output obtained from these methods displays discrepancies in the proper projection of water quality. Some samples show similarities in WQI values obtained from two to four methods. However, the suitability status of water for drinking purposes could not be precisely ascertained from these indices. Since the water chemistry results and WQI values are incompatible, the output from these methods could be red herring. Few issues are identified among the studied methods which need improvisation. The use of ideal value in the weighted arithmetic index method and arbitration in assigning Weight for each parameter gives scope for speculation. Non-uniformity in the categorization of water and the suitability statuses of drinking water are discouraging factors. The WQI is an effective tool in screening the vast database for identifying and addressing the issues in water quality. Since drinking water standards and water supply are government-sponsored, an institutional intervention is required to standardize the WQI computation procedure. Such an initiative is necessary for the practical application of water quality data to contain water-borne diseases.

Hydrocarbon Reservoir Characterization of ‘Khume’ Field, Offshore Niger Delta, Nigeria

The integrative approach of well log correlation and seismic interpretation was adopted in this study to adequately characterize and evaluate the hydrocarbon potentials of Khume field, offshore Niger Delta, Nigeria. 3-D seismic data and well logs data from ten (10) wells were utilized to delineate the geometry of the reservoirs in Khume field, and as well as to estimate the hydrocarbon reserves. Three hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs of interest (D-04, D-06, and E-09A) were delineated using an array of gamma-ray logs, resistivity log, and neutron/density log suites. Stratigraphic interpretation of the lithologies in Khume field showed considerable uniform gross thickness across all three sand bodies. Results of petrophysical evaluations conducted on the three reservoirs correlated across the field showed that; shale volume ranged from 7-14%, total and effective porosity ranged from 19-26% and 17-23% respectively, NTG from 42 to 100%, water saturation from 40%-100% and permeability from 1265-2102 mD. Seismic interpretation established the presence of both synthetic and antithetic faults. A total of six synthetic and four antithetic faults were interpreted from the study area. Horizons interpretation was done both in the strike and dip directions. Time and depth structure maps revealed reservoir closures to be anticlinal and fault supported in the field. Hydrocarbon volumes were calculated using the deterministic (map-based) approach. Stock tank oil initially in place (STOIIP) for the proven oil column estimated for the D-04 reservoir was 11.13 MMSTB, 0.54 MMSTB for D-06, and 2.16 MMSTB for E-09A reservoir. For the possible oil reserves, a STOIIP value of 7.28 MMSTB was estimated for D-06 and 6.30 MMSTB for E-09A reservoir, while a hydrocarbon initially in place (HIIP) of 4.13 MMSTB of oil equivalents was derived for the undefined fluid (oil/gas) in D-06 reservoir. A proven gas reserve of 1.07 MMSCF was derived for the D-06 reservoir. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of 3-D seismic and well logs data in delineating reservoir structural architecture and in estimating hydrocarbon volumes

Assessing Perceptions and Practices of Environmental Problems: Bahir Dar City, in Ethiopia, in Focus

The main purpose of this study was to see the level of environmental perception and perceived environmental practices. It also addressed the correlations among demographic factors, awareness and perceived behaviors. Besides, how gender difference, if any, revealed on people’s perception and practice was checked. Fifty participants selected randomly from different working sites (such as football field, shopping centers, and public library) were administered a likert scale questionnaire on perceptions and practices of environmental issues. The descriptive statistics revealed fairly higher level of environmental perception and practices. Correlation coefficients revealed little sign of connection between what the participants perceived about environmental problems and what environmental activities they reported. Besides, insignificant differences between men and women were observed on both their perceptions and pro-environmental behaviors. Therefore, the role background and gender related variables play for pro-environmental issues seemed to be re-examined for a more elaborated explanation on environmental perception and behaviors.

A Review of the Status of Rothschild’s Giraffe Sub-Species Population in Africa

Africa is the cradle of the world’s giraffe species and the sub-species that keep evolving with more conservation approaches. However, the population of Rothschild’s Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) has been impacted at different sects in the wild. The aim of this paper was to review the status of Rothschild’s giraffe in Africa. A desktop descriptive review approach was used through perusal of different scholarly articles on giraffes. From the existing literature, this review exposes the effect of human effects on giraffes, climate change extremes on wildlife, ecological and significance of wildlife, and socio-economic impacts of communities on giraffes. The existing literature shows the impact of climate change extremes on giraffe habitats, with notable droughts, triggers of diseases, and unfit habitat migrations. Conservation of wildlife has to deal with socio-economic and ecological issues that are complex and, most of the time, overwhelming. We recommend the need for community engagement in conservation of wildlife resources and the development of climate prediction models to better understand climate extremes that happen and affect giraffe habits and population.

Evaluation of Heavy Metals and Contamination Status of Soil around Abandoned and Active Nigerian Dumpsites

Aim: The study evaluated the heavy metals and contamination status of soil around active and abandoned waste dumpsites in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria. Methodology: Five soil samples were collected at the topsoil (0-15cm depth) in a regular distance of 20m, 40m, 60m, 80m and 100m from the center of the dumpsites and control plot. The soil samples were analysed for heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Fe, Pb and Zn), pH and total Organic C (TOC) using standard laboratory analyses and contamination indices to determine the soil contamination status. Descriptive statistics involving mean and standard deviation were used for the data analysis. Results: The mean concentrations of Cu, Cr, Cd, Fe, Pb and Zn in active dumpsite was 3.2616mg/kg, 0.3983 mg/kg, 0.2027 mg/kg, 6.5785 mg/kg, 2.6991mg/kg and 12.4111mg/kg respectively while that of the abandoned dumpsite are 1.3913mg/kg, 0.3693mg/kg, 0.0882mg/kg, 3.6235mg/kg, 0.4158mg/kg and 4.0140mg/kg respectively. Hence, the soil samples in both dumpsites exceeded the allowable limit of World Health Organisation (WHO). The order of heavy metal concentrations in the dumpsites was Zn>Fe>Cu>Pb>Cr>Cd. The contamination factor of the heavy metals follows order: Pb > Cu > Cr > Zn > Fe for both dumpsites. The degree of contamination ranged from (1612.51 to 2286.83 for active dumpsite and 26.14 to 641.46 for abandoned dumpsite) indicating very high degree of contamination. Modified degree of contamination ranged from 46.09 to 381.14 for active dumpsite indicating “ultra-high degree of contamination” and 4.36 to 106.91 for abandoned dumpsite indicating high degree of contamination to ultra-high degree of contamination. Pollution Load Index ranged from (5.08 to 8.12 for active and 1.63 to 4.16 for abandoned dumpsite) indicating polluted soil with various heavy metals. Conclusion: the concentration of heavy metals combined with the contamination indices revealed that the soils around the dumpsites are contaminated/polluted; hence, pose ecological and health-related risk.

Geophysical Investigation of Groundwater Using Vertical Electrical Sounding in Mubi and Maiha Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, North Eastern Nigeria

This research work is aimed electrical resistivity survey for groundwater development conducted in Mubi and Maiha local government area of Adamawa State, in order to delineate the groundwater potential zones and determining the depth and thickness of sediments layers, and recommend suitable depth for drilling. Fourteen vertical electrical soundings (VES) were carried out within the study area using Schlumberger electrodes configuration was used for the field data acquisition. The field data obtained was analyzed using IX1D computer software and, VES1-14 resistivity model indicate 3-4 layered earth models. The interpretation shows positive inference in terms of a well-defined weathered basement and as such, it is likely to possess requisite hydro-geological characteristics that could supply underground water in fair quantity to well when drilled. Therefore, VES number denoted (R) are recommended for drilling at approximate depths of 40±5 to 50±5 meters.