Remote Sensing Based-Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in Mangrove Vegetation, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria (1986-2024)

This study was poised to determine the spatial extent and trend of changes in mangrove vegetation in Akwa Ibom State, in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, for about forty years. Remotely sensed Landsat satellite images were obtained for 1986, 2004, 2014, and 2024 from the United States Geological Survey, Earth Explorer. The study identified, classified, and analysed the various land uses replacing Mangrove vegetation in Akwa Ibom State using the supervised algorithm in Erdas Imagine. The result showed that the mangrove forest declined by about 70% from 1986 to 2024. The decline in the spatial extent of Mangrove vegetation was influenced by several anthropogenic factors, especially in the coastal areas. Notably, there was a steady increase in built-up, and farmland uses through these years. This study suggests the need to monitor Mangrove vegetation exploitation. Furthermore, it recommends the need for an urgent mangrove restoration programme in the area, given the ecological benefits of the mangrove vegetation to the ecosystem.