GEOSPATIAL ASSESSMENT OF WETLAND LOSSES IN COASTAL URBAN UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES: THE CASE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA CAMPUS, NIGERI

Abstract

Wetlands are essential components of the ecosystem and play significant roles as habitats and are reservoirs of biodiversity. This paper was an attempt to inferentially study the degradation and devaluation of marshland in a rapidly developing coastal area like the University of Lagos, Akoka Campus. Object based classification of high-resolution imagery and aerial photography of the Akoka area was used to determine the degradation and of the marshland and wetland in the study between 1983 and 2015. The result showed a significant change in the natural marshland from the 1980’s till date in response to the extensive alterations of the campus landscape to meet with the rapid population increase. The result is the degradation of marshland which serves as habitat to numerous organisms that are vital to the ecosystem of the area. The study recommends the preservation of the marshland habitat by the promulgation and implementation of legislation and policies that allows for protection of selected wetland area against urbanisation.