ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACTS OF GULLY EROSION ON LIVELIHOOD OF RESIDENTS OF OHAFIA, ABIA STATE

Abstract

Although there are abundant natural resources in the world; however, the soil is one of the most valuable amongst all. Consequently, the major destroyer of this valuable natural resources is erosion which comes in different forms; sheet, rill, or gully. The impact of erosion particularly has become a cause of concern for many, especially in the Southeast region of Nigeria. This study therefore examined the impact of gully erosion on livelihood of residents in Ohafia LGA, with a view to developing gully erosion vulnerability map of the study area. The study relied on quantitative and remote sensing data acquired from primary and secondary data source. The quantitative data were gathered from the residents in the study area, while Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM), and Digital Soil Map of the World (DSMW) were sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) website. The elevation data, terrain, and slope characteristics were extracted from the SRTM, while the soil types and clay properties were extracted from the DSMW. A total of 346 questionnaires was administered in four communities (Abariba, Ndi Nduma, Ebem and Ohafia) to gather quantitative data on the causes and impact of gully erosion using simple random sampling technique. The data collected were subjected to descriptive (percentage, mean, Jenks), inferential (ANOVA), and spatial (slope, nearest neighbourhood analysis, and terrain) analysis was adopted. The study revealed that there are 34 gully erosion sites in Ohafia LGA, these gullies are dispersed across Ohafia LGA with varing length, width, and height. The study also shows that topography, slope, and soil accounted for 49%, 25%, and 86.2% of the gully erosion suffered in Ohafia respectively. The study established that gully erosion had significant impact on the livelihood of residents through loss of farmland (4.29), destruction of crops (4.17), and destruction of roads (4.07) needed to transport the farm produce to the market. The conclude that adequate attention must be paid the soil properties and human practices in the study area when selecting sites for the development of various land uses. The study recommends the development of gully erosion risk maps to guide future development and sustainable farming practices in Ohafia.