Application of Multi-Temporal Landsat Imagery and GIS in Analyzing Land Use/Cover Changes in Abakaliki Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria From 2000 to 2022

Land use land cover (LULC) change analysis is critical for understanding the effects of human activities on the environment. This study applied object-based image classification to High-Resolution Multi-Temporal Landsat imagery to analyse the LULC patterns in Abakaliki Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria  between 2000 and 2022. . Classification accuracies were validated using ground-reference data, yielding overall accuracy exceeding 95% for both time periods. Results revealed significant alterations in LULC composition over the 22-year interval. Specifically, vegetation cover declined substantially from 65.1% to 25.54% as bare land and built-up area expanded dramatically, increasing their coverage by over 25% each. These quantified shifts provide clear evidence of intensive urbanization and associated deforestation impacts. The high-fidelity LULC maps produced establish an empirical baseline for ongoing monitoring of environmental changes in the study area. Discriminating four classes with high classification performance (user's/producer's accuracy 87-100%) confirms the robustness of the object-based methodology. Key recommendations stemming from this research include leveraging the spatial datasets to model ecological effects and inform conservation planning through evidence-based strategies. Regular repetition of the mapping process is also advised to continuously track landscape transformations, assess policy interventions and guide development initiatives amid ongoing urban growth pressures across Ebonyi State, Nigeria.   Received: 10 January 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 6 March 2024