Monitoring Land Cover Change in Katsina Urban Area, Nigeria (1999 -2017) Associated with Urbanization: A Pixel-based Individuality Forms of Image A nalysis

Abstract

Objectives: To study the rapidly changing urban area of Katsina in Katsina State; Nigeria, to track Land Cover Changes (LCC) and to identify possible impacts of urbanization. Methods: Landsat thematic mapper (TM), enhance thematic mapper (ETM +) images 30m resolution from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) acquired from Jos National Centre for Remote Sensing (NCRS). Satellite images from 1999 and 2017 were used to create a past and current picture of the LCC in the urban area of Katsina. The images were classified using the pixel identity forms of the digital organization of the monitored images with a maximum-likelihood classifier algorithm based on the multispectral image to understand the spectral data presented in the image of the urban area of Katsina. These images were then compared with the modifications that occurred among the dates of images. Findings: The findings on study area showed that the built-up area had increased and added 4.99 square kilometres (percentage change of 22.22) between 1987 -1999. The class of vegetation/agricultural land cover also increased and added 10.4 square kilometres (percent change of 165.8) between 1987 -1999. The Bare-soil had decreased and lost 15.39 square kilometres (percent change of 25.29) between 1987 -1999. Conclusion: Land cover changes exist, either legal or illegal, which indicate the rapid rate of population growth and urbanization in the urban area of Katsina. It also revealed the capability of RS/GIS for managing large information that made it suitable for these types of study. Keywords: Analysis; Based on the pixel individuality; Land Cover Changes (LCC); Monitoring and Urbanisation