GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS OF QUARRY ACTIVITIES IN MPAPE DISTRICT, ABUJA NIGERIA

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Author

Presented To

Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
Quarryinghas diversifying effects on the environment and human activities as most of these quarry are located within residential areas especially around Mpape community of Bwari Area Council, FCT, Abuja and environs. Their operations are obviously not been carried out with world best practices. The study is aimed at carrying out spatio-temporal analysis of quarrying sites within Mpape District Abuja, Nigeria.The study employed remote sensing and GIS techniques to analysis the spatial locations and geometric characteristics of the quarries. Conventional surveying technique with the use of GNSS receivers in differential mode was used to obtain data of the sites. IKONOS and Landsat 2005 and 2015 imageries were also used. In addition, spot heightens were acquired using TCX converter v20.30 and were densified with ASTERDEM (30m resolution void-free). ArcGIS v10.1 Desktop and ENVI v5.1 environments were used to processed and analyzed data. Three abandonedquarries (Julius Berger, Crush rock and Dantata) and six are active (Arab Contractors, Pongyum, Leenford, Perfect stone, Exsamine 1 and 2) were used. The study established that there are losses of vegetation around all the quarries. The LULC map revealed the increase in the sizes and numbers of quarry sites from six in 2005 to nine in 2015. The study discovered the increment in the rocky areas at the rate of 106.54Km2.yr-1, which indicated the immense outcrops of rocks in Mpape. The depth profiles of the derelict ponds showed that pond 1, 2 and 3 that are within Julius Berger quarry site have the highest depths with values of 25m, 20, and 15m, followed by the pond within Crush rock quarry with a depth of 16m, and the pond in Dantata quarry site has the least with a depth of 6m. The buffer analysis carried out at 100m and 150m distances revealed that settlements are already engulfing the three quarry sites located at the core center of Mpape. This study recommended for stakeholders in the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Solid Minerals,FCDA and environmental protection agencies to urge quarrying companies to restore abandoned derelict ponds into socio-economic use.