International Journal of Geoinformatics Science and Technology

Evaluation of the Role of Tourism in Supporting the Niger Delta Marine Protected Areas

2026-02-26T09:55:54+00:00

The Niger Delta marine protected areas (MPAs) play a significant role in conserving and preserving the region’s rich marine biodiversity, ecosystem, and promoting sustainable sources of livelihoods for local communities. Tourism has been identified as a key strategy for supporting the marine protected areas, but its effectiveness in achieving conservation, preservation, and livelihood goals is ambiguous. A few studies on tourism have been carried out in the region, but none have a comprehensive approach that studied the protection of the MPAs, tourism, and livelihoods. The study aims to evaluate the role of tourism in supporting the Niger Delta MPAs, focusing on the economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism on the marine protected areas. Some of the objectives are: to identify the various locations of the MPAs in the Niger Delta, to examine the current state of the MPAs and to ascertain the economic and social benefits of these MPAs. The study used a mixed methods approach, combining surveys, interviews, and observational data to assess the tourism industry. Yamane’s formula was used to determine a sample size of 400. A structured questionnaire was distributed to a cross-section of stakeholders by purposeful selection, including artisanal fishers, tourism operators, conservation NGO staff, and community representatives. The results show that economically, tourism reaches 78.5% of households as a supplementary income source, though for most it represents less than one-quarter of total earnings. Socially, the data reveal that 72.6% of respondents agree tourism creates jobs for the youth and 72.5% see it preserving cultural heritage, yet only 57.6% acknowledge improvements in community facilities. Environmentally, 64.5% of respondents believe tourism encourages marine and coastal protection, but 63.9% reported increased waste, and 54.3% noted that wildlife disturbance occurs in visited areas. The study also highlights the need for recommendations to improve tourism management and regulation to minimize environmental impacts and ensure that benefits are equally distributed among stakeholders. The study findings have implications for the development of sustainable tourism strategies that support marine protected areas conservation and community livelihoods in the Niger Delta region.

Ground Response Analysis of a Reclaimed Coastal Site using DEEPSOIL

2026-01-05T09:59:20+00:00

Earthquakes are among the most destructive natural hazards, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and significant economic losses worldwide. The severity of earthquake-induced damage is strongly influenced by local site conditions, including soil stratigraphy, stiffness contrast, and nonlinear soil behavior, which can substantially amplify seismic ground motions. This study presents a detailed one-dimensional ground response analysis of a reclaimed coastal site located in Matarbari, Moheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, using the DEEPSOIL software platform. The analysis incorporated key response parameters such as response spectra, acceleration time histories, Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), shear strain distribution, and shear stress ratio with depth. Two well-documented historical earthquake records as the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake were used as input motions to assess the influence of different frequency contents and shaking intensities on local site response. The equivalent linear method was employed to assess site amplification, evaluating response spectra, strain time histories, Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), and maximum strain with depth. The study’s findings highlight the variations in spectral acceleration and time periods across different borehole locations, emphasizing the influence of local soil conditions. Varying boreholes recorded different PGAs for the same earthquake motion, with some locations exhibiting surface soil responses exceeding the input motion, primarily due to the presence of residual soils like ‘Fat clay.’ The results indicate a high susceptibility to earthquakes such as the Kobe and Chi-Chi earthquakes, underscoring the need for meticulous earthquake-resistant design in such regions.

Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection in Bogura District Using Random Forest and Google Earth Engine

2026-05-13T11:34:01+00:00

Land Use and Land Cover change analysis is essential for understanding environmental dynamics and supporting sustainable land management. This study determines changes in the Bogura District between 2009 and 2025 using Landsat imagery within the Google Earth Engine environment. A Random Forest classifier was employed to generate LULC maps based on spectral bands and indices, including NDVI, MNDWI, and EVI. Five major land cover classes were identified: urban, bare land, water bodies, vegetation, and cropland. The classified maps achieved overall accuracies of 88% and 91% for 2009 and 2025, respectively, indicating a high level of classification reliability. The results further demonstrate that cropland remained the dominant land use throughout the study period, expanding from 38.6% (1431.58 km²) in 2009 to 42.3% (1623.66 km²) in 2025. Vegetation covers also increased significantly from 24.3% to 39.3%, while bare land decreased markedly from 20.2% to 5.7%. Urban areas expanded from 3.7% to 6.5%, reflecting rapid urbanization. In contrast, water bodies declined from 13.3% to 6.2%, indicating potential hydrological and environmental concerns. Change detection analysis using a post-classification comparison approach reveals that major land transformations occurred from bare land and vegetation to cropland, and from multiple land classes to urban areas. Significant portions of water bodies were also converted into cropland and bare land. These transitions highlight the combined effects of agricultural expansion, urban growth, and river dynamics on land transformation. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating cloud-based geospatial platforms with machine learning techniques for accurate LULC mapping and change detection. The findings provide valuable insights for land use planning, environmental management, and sustainable development in rapidly changing regions.

Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) for Resource Inventory Mapping of the University of Uyo Campuses, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

2026-02-24T08:26:40+00:00

This study explores the integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for resource inventory and mapping across the University of Uyo’s three campuses in Nigeria. Using Sensefly eBee X and DJI Mavic 2 Pro drones, 1,962 georeferenced images were captured over 1,093.354 hectares. Data processing via Pix4Dmapper generated high-resolution orthomosaics (6.74–7.28 cm/pixel), Digital Surface Models (DSMs), Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), and 3D point clouds. These outputs were integrated into a GIS environment to digitize facilities, utilities, and green spaces, resulting in detailed thematic and guide maps at scales of 1:7000 and 1:7500. Ground truthing validated the spatial models, ensuring a reliable inventory of academic, administrative, and recreational infrastructure. The findings establish a comprehensive geodatabase that enhances campus management, maintenance, and future development planning. Compared to traditional surveying, the UAV-GIS approach proved more efficient, accurate, and cost-effective, providing a scalable solution for institutional resource mapping. The study recommends institutionalizing routine UAV surveys, integrating the datasets into university management systems, and training personnel to leverage these technologies for sustainable infrastructural planning.