Ecological Connectivity Index Mapping for Green Infrastructure Development in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria

Fanan Ujoh,Patrick Samson Udama Eneche,Micah Ekwutosi Obiegbu

doi:10.5539/enrr.v8n2p116

Fanan Ujoh, Patrick Samson Udama Eneche + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/enrr.v8n2p116

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Abstract

Infrastructural development is considered one of the key steps towards economic advancement and prosperity, although the ecological basis of such intent is often not enshrined in the policies of governments, especially in most developing nations. Thus, infrastructural development has further increased fragmentation of ecologically-rich landscapes, causing biodiversity losses, reduced specie richness and diversity and climate change. Hence, the need for green infrastructure development. This study made use of Geographic Information System (GIS) tool to explore areas with high Ecological Connectivity Index (ECI) that could (easily) support green infrastructure development in Kaduna State in the face of climate change impacts which is already ravaging the region. Kaduna State land use/cover map and Aster GDTM elevation data were acquired, processed and analyzed using ArcGIS 10.5 software. A spatial model was developed that made use of the combination of elevation, slope and land use/cover data of the State via Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) to reveal potentially viable and ecologically-rich areas of the State and the most efficient links between such areas. A total distance of 878 kilometers of potential ecological corridors in the study area were mapped and therefore, serve as a base to be considered in embarking on a state-wide green wall infrastructure development program by Kaduna State government. It is however recommended that Kaduna State as well as other state governments, particularly in northern Nigeria, ought to roll-out phased green infrastructure investment program(s), adopt the use of shrubs and trees in building green walls and to localize all the gains of the continental-wide Green Wall initiative as this will further reduce the threats of climate change in the region. The study also recommended the inclusion of other landscape variables/descriptors (e.g. road proximity, soil properties, cultural setting of local communities, etc.) into building a more comprehensive model to strengthen the accuracy of the map and the model presented in this study.

Highlights

Infrastructure development is considered one of the key steps toward economic advancement, especially among developing nations seeking to transform their economies from import-dependent to self-reliance
The result of the topographic analyses (Figure 4a and 4b) are the processed Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and processed slope of the study area while Figure 5a and 5b shows that of the slope as computed from the digital elevation model (DEM) data of the study area and a reclassified Land Use/Cover (LU/C) of the area
Kaduna State is shown to range from 242m around Birnin-Gwari, Chikun and Sanga Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the southwards and western areas of the State to about 1,324m (ASL) revealed around the hilly South-eastern parts of the State (Kaura, Zangon-Kataf, Lere and Kubau LGAs)

Summary

Introduction

Infrastructure development is considered one of the key steps toward economic advancement, especially among developing nations seeking to transform their economies from import-dependent to self-reliance. There are ecological problems arising from habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss due to infrastructural developments of different scales (Collinge, 1996; Mallarach & Marull, 2006; Chang et al, 2012; Yigitcanlar & Lee, 2014; Yigitcanlar & Dizdaroglu, 2015, Onwuka et al, 2017; Musa et al, 2017). The Nigerian Government’s Vision 20:20:20 aim is to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth and elevate the nation’s economy to be among the top 20 economies in the world by year 2020 (African Development Bank, 2014) Such is often perceived to be achieved mainly through the availability of appropriate economic and social infrastructure, the prioritization of improved quality of infrastructure services with little consideration to their ecological footprints. Nigeria’s Federal and State governments are currently making concerted efforts to improve the current poor state of infrastructure in order to meet the demand of the growing population as contained in the National Infrastructure Master Plan (National Planning Commission, 2015) and other sectoral infrastructure framework plans such as the World Bank Group’s (2015) “Highways to Success or Byways to Waste: Estimating the Economic Benefits of Roads in Africa”, and “An Infrastructure Action Plan for Nigeria: Closing the Infrastructure Gap and Accelerating Economic Transformation” by the African Development Bank (2014)

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