TITLE:
Land-Use and Land-Cover Change in the Sahel Area of Keita Valley, Republic of Niger
AUTHORS:
Boureima K. Yacouba, Zhanqi Wang, Yamba Boubacar
KEYWORDS:
Keita Valley, Ecosystem’s Vulnerability, Diachronic Analysis, Ecological Balance, Droughts
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.7 No.4,
March
30,
2016
ABSTRACT:
Keita
region is largely dependent on agriculture and livestock as the main economic
activities with about 90% of the population are actively engaged in rural
activities. However, these activities are dwindling at a rate that corresponds
with increase in the ecosystem’s vulnerability. The following study focused on
land use/land cover change in Keita. The study aims to better understand
changes through diachronic analysis by integrating remote sensing and GIS.
There was an interpretation of satellites imagery (1975, 1984, 1995 and 2001),
and statistical techniques were used to provide quantitative analysis of land
use/cover change information and drivers underlying in the study area. The
changes are affected by simultaneous influence of successive droughts
(1973-1974 and 1983-1984) that have transformed ecological balance,
anthropogenic and livestock impacts, ecosystems degradation and policies. The
land use temporal dynamics are undergone continual degradation of vegetation,
the state of land saturation results in conflicts between farmer and herders,
the drop in grazing areas, bare land expansion, the erosion of stream bed, and
the decline in flooded plain.