A SURVEY OF GULLY EROSION SITES IN CALABAR METROPOLIS, CROSS RIVER STATE- NIGERIA
Author(s): Egbai, O. O.
Institute(s): Department of Environmental Resource Management, University of Calabar, Calabar
Volume 2024 / Issue 1
Abstract
The study assessed and severity of gully erosion in Calabar Metropolis. Geographic Information System (GIS) and cross sectional survey were employed to identify spatial location of gully sites as well as understand residents’ perception of the gullies, Data were also collected on the gully parameters (depth, length) using measuring tape. A total of 383 copies of structured questionnaires were distributed and 382 were retrieved. The study revealed that 35 per cent of the sampled population attributed the cause of the gullies to deforestation, 30 per cent claimed that poor drainage system was the root cause, 22.5 per cent traced it to urbanization while the remaining 12.5 per cent linked it to heavy rainfall. The result also revealed that the largest gully site was that of Ikot Awatim which covered a total of 65089sqm with 59m depth followed by Mbaccoc with a dimension of 59112sqm and depth of 34m. Rapid urbanization, inadequate drainage systems and improper land use practices were identified to exacerbate the problem of erosion perturbation, leading to significant environmental degradation and posing serious threats to infrastructure and human settlements in the area. The study recommends improved drainage systems and sustainable urban planning practices to mitigate future erosion risks. Keywords: Calabar Metropolis; Urbanization; Drainage Systems; Gully Erosion
Number of Pages: 9
Number of Words: 3416
First Page: 1
Last Page: 9