The Resurging Effect of Climate – Human Interaction on the Soil of Abia State, Nigeria: A Climate Change Perspective.

Abstract

Abstract

Studies on the impact of climate change on soil erosion have been widely acknowledged by parts of the eastern states of Nigeria as one of the major land degradation problems besetting the area. This study adopts Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing techniques as veritable tool to study the effect of Climate – Human interaction on soil of Abia state. Increase in observed mean rainfall of 5.85, 5.62, 5.88, and 5.32 mm/day was recorded against 1972, 1986, 2003 and 2015 combined with soil, DEM and anthropogenic (human) factors was used as the basic requirement for environmental modeling of soil loss using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). A minimum of 0.005 ton/acres/year and a maximum of 42.80, 42.67, 57.04, 43.12 and 38.86 ton/acres/year of soil was lost for Abia state in 1972, 1986, 2003 and 2015. The result reveals that human intervention/impact and land use change has accelerated soil erosion in Abia state by increasing soil loss in the built up area, bare ground and agricultural land by a mean value which ranges between 0.82 to 5.74 ton/acres/year in 1972, 7.86 to 9.72 ton/acres/year in 1986, 5.43 to 10.62 ton/acres/year in 2003 and 5.65 to 8.12 ton/acres/year in 2015. Furthermore, the result reveals that observed resurging effect of Climate – Human interaction on soil of Abia state is driven by: (a.) a socioeconomic (indirect) effect of climate change and (b.) the direct effect of climate change on the soil and infrastructural development of Abia state. The results concludes that that the frequency of heavy rainfall and soil erosion events has increased over Abia state between 1972 to 2015, and impacts of climate change on erosion are related to climatic and human induced changes caused by climate change and associated adaptation actions.

Keywords: Soil Erosion, Land use, Rainfall, Climate Change, Abia State.

Cite this Article Ibeabuchi Uwadiegwu. The Resurging Effect of Climate – Human Interaction on Soil of Abia State, Nigeria: A Climate Change Perspective. Journal of Energy, Environment & Carbon Credits. 2020; 10(2): 27-44p.

Studies on the impact of climate change on soil erosion have been widely acknowledged byparts of the eastern states of Nigeria as one of the major land degradation problems besettingthe area. This study adopts Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensingtechniques as veritable tool to study the effect of Climate – Human interaction on soil of Abiastate. Increase in observed mean rainfall of 5.85, 5.62, 5.88, and 5.32 mm/day was recordedagainst 1972, 1986, 2003 and 2015 combined with soil, DEM and anthropogenic (human)factors was used as the basic requirement for environmental modeling of soil loss usingUniversal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). A minimum of 0.005 ton/acres/year and a maximum of42.80, 42.67, 57.04, 43.12 and 38.86 ton/acres/year of soil was lost for Abia state in 1972,1986, 2003 and 2015. The result reveals that human intervention/impact and land use changehas accelerated soil erosion in Abia state by increasing soil loss in the built up area, bareground and agricultural land by a mean value which ranges between 0.82 to 5.74ton/acres/year in 1972, 7.86 to 9.72 ton/acres/year in 1986, 5.43 to 10.62 ton/acres/year in2003 and 5.65 to 8.12 ton/acres/year in 2015. Furthermore, the result reveals that observed
resurging effect of Climate – Human interaction on soil of Abia state is driven by: (a.) a socio-economic (indirect) effect of climate change and (b.) the direct effect of climate change on the
soil and infrastructural development of Abia state. The results concludes that that thefrequency of heavy rainfall and soil erosion events has increased over Abia state between 1972to 2015, and impacts of climate change on erosion are related to climatic and human inducedchanges caused by climate change and associated adaptation actions.