Change Detection in Land Use and Land Cover Using Geo-spatial Methods

This work examines the use of GIS and Remote Sensing in mapping Land Use and Land Cover in Ilorin between 1972 and 2001. The aim of this is to detect the changes that has taken place in the Land Use Land Cover of the area between these periods. Subsequently, an attempt was made at projecting the observed land use and land cover of Ilorin for 14 years using the Cellular Automata_Markov and Markov Chain Analysis. In achieving this, Land Consumption Rate and Land Absorption Coefficient were introduced to aid in the quantitative assessment of the change. The result of the work shows a rapid growth in built-up land between 1972 and 1986 while the periods between 1986 and 2001 witnessed a reduction in this class. It was also observed that change by 2015 is likely to follow the trend in 1986/2001.