Geospatial Projection of Landuse/Landcover changes in Wudil Town of Kano State (IJSRES-15-59)

Wudil is an ancient town that is fast growing in Kano state of northwestern Nigeria. In spite of the continuous urbanization experienced in Wudil, accurate information on the rate and pattern of urbanization which is required for future regional development of the town is inadequate. Recent study used geospatial techniques to analyze the pattern of landuse/landcover change in the area from 2000 to 2014. Although the study provided insight on the current rate of urban growth of the town, projection is required to estimate the future growth scenario of the town. Therefore, this study used Markov Chain Analysis which integrated classified Landsat images of the area to project the landuse/landcover change of Wudil from 2014 to 2028 with a view to understand the future pattern of urban growth in the area and the probable conversion between landuse classes for proper urban and regional planning in the area. Results showed that the built-up area increased by more than 12% while the cultivated land decreased by about 9% over the period of study. In addition, findings revealed that the built-up area has a probability of 0.824 of maintaining its status over the next 14 years, and open field also has a probability of 0.803 of changing to a built- up area, but vegetation has a probability of 0.418 to retain its current landuse/landcover status. The findings of this study provide valuable inputs for the design of future masterplan for proper development of the town.