Abstract

In this paper, land use and land cover change detection of some selected stations in Anambra state for three (3) periods of twenty-nine (29) years was conducted. This was done by using three satellite images of different dates (1986, 2000 and 2013) which were interpreted and analyzed to extract the detailed information for identification of the changes. To obtain the changes in the land use/land cover, the traditional approach of post classification comparison was followed. The satellite images, submaps created were georeferenced and classified by the method of unsupervised classification based on the following classification scheme: water bodies, vegetation, gully areas, built-up areas and bare surfaces. The results showed significant rapid growth in built-up areas while the vegetation and gully areas were annually decreasing. Also, there was little or no appreciable change in water bodies. This study will guide policy makers and urban planners in the administration of land use development of the study area.

Key words: Land use, classification, change detection, built up areas, vegetation.