Land-use and cover change reflects choices in natural resource governance. Land-use change impacts including deforestation, forest degradation, and other unsustainable land-use practices results from processes driven by multiple causes occurring at spatially denominated scales (FAO 2016, Lambin et al. 2001). Using a twin approach of analyses of multi-temporal satellite imageries (for time-series land-use and cover change) and rapid appraisal survey in purposively selected peri-urban and rural communities on assessment of drivers of land-use change and deforestation in SW Nigeria. The study area experienced a historical net deforestation rate of -1.1% per annum between 1986 and 2016 and -4.7% between 2006 and 2016. The deforestation rate for primary forest was -3.3% between 1986 and 2016 and -10% between 2006 and 2016. Savanna woodland recorded net growth of 0.8% annually from 1986 to 2016. Almost all the states recorded net deforestation rate ranging from -0.25 to -2.61% between 1986 and 2016 and -2.63 to -7.41% between 2006 and 2016. Exotic Teak and Gmelina plantation have become the primary means of reforestation, expanding at about 43% per annum between 1986 and 2016. Lumbering and polewood extraction, fuelwood and charcoal production, crop cultivation, urban growth, animal grazing and transportation are considered the most important proximate land-use change and deforestation drivers. Population increase and poverty are the most important underlying drivers. National climate change actions, natural resource policies, and international multilateral commitments currently have very little impacts with regards to land-use change in southwest Nigeria. As the Nigeria’s NDC recognizes halting and reversing deforestation as critical to achieving the conditional 47% GHG reduction target, more attention would need to be directed to land-based mitigation which presents tremendous opportunities towards carbon emission reduction and low carbon development.
Mots clés : land use change drivers|deforestation|GIS and remote sensing|Nigeria
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