Assessment of the extent of desertification in Gamawa LGA of Bauchi State using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Desertification, a pressing environmental and socioeconomic challenge, is significantly impacting arid and semi-arid regions around the world, including Gamawa Local Government Area (LGA) within Bauchi State, Nigeria.This study employs Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques to assess the extent of desertification in Gamawa LGA.Specifically, the study analyzes land-use and land-cover changes that occurred between 1999 and 2022 using Landsat satellite imagery and the Maximum Likelihood classification algorithm.Additionally, it explores the topographical characteristics of the region using SRTM Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data and GIS tools.The results reveal significant shifts in land-use categories.Notably, built-up areas have expanded by 999.98%, while cropland has decreased by 5.10%, vegetation cover by 44.35%, and water bodies by a substantial 85.41%.These findings strongly suggest that Gamawa LGA has undergone considerable land degradation and desertification over the past years.This study offers valuable insights for environmental scientists and governmental planning agencies.The information obtained can support the development of sustainable practices and effective governance strategies to combat land degradation, and desertification, and ensure the conservation of land resources in Gamawa LGA.