The Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Land Use in Port Harcourt: Nigeria

Land is a natural resource which is a scare commodity. It is therefore important to classify land and
Land Use. The city of Port Harcourt has experienced a lot of changes on Land Uses and Land Cover
which has had an impact on the spatial pattern of the city. This study hopes to identify how the varying
climatic changes and elements have affected the spatial pattern of Port Harcourt and to ensure that
there is sustainable development. The methodology used was Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
and remote sensing which provided a cost effective and accurate alternative to understanding
landscape dynamics. Digital change detection techniques based on multi-temporal and multi-spectral
remotely sensed data was also used. Objectives of the Study are to examine the spatial pattern of
Port Harcourt between the periods of 1984 –2014. To ascertain how climatic factors have affected the
spatial pattern in Port Harcourt. To determine the present state of Land Use and Land Cover in Port
Harcourt and how it has been affected by climatic elements. The result of the study showed that there
have been climatic deviations in rainfall and temperature values and very obvious changes in the
spatial pattern of Land Use and Land Cover between 1984 to 2014. The Built – Up area showed an
increase from 16.50% in 1984 to 51.38% in 2014. A lot of development has taken place using up most
of the Gallery Forest, Vegetation area and the Water Bodies. Development of Built – Up area needs
to be controlled so that all of the vegetation is not used up because the city needs some vegetation to
allow the city breath.