SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON LAND USE/LAND COVER CHANGE IN ONDO STATE
Abstract
This study analyzes spatio-temporal Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) in Ondo State, Nigeria, and examines the relationship between LULCC and climate variability from 2018 to 2022. Pre-classified land cover datasets from the ESRI Copernicus Hub and climate parameters from NASA POWER were integrated in a GIS environment to quantify changes across five classes: vegetation, bare ground, built-up areas, farmland, and water bodies. Vegetation cover declined from 86.46% (2018) to 80.62% (2022) while bare ground and built-up areas increased, indicating degradation and urban expansion. Climate data show small year-to-year fluctuations in mean temperature and pronounced variability in precipitation. Simple correlation analysis shows associations between vegetation cover and climate variables, but results are not statistically significant with the five-year dataset; further analysis using longer time series and vegetation indices (e.g., NDVI) is recommended. The study highlights hotspots of land cover change (Akure, Owo, Ondo West) and recommends integrating climate information into land management, implementing afforestation programs, and establishing regular remote sensing-based monitoring.
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