Much of the phenological change has occurred in areas of "natural" vegetation; changes in 
forest/thicket and shrub/grassiand account for approximately 70% of the phenological change 
detected. These changes can be attributed primarily to variations in environmental factors 
between the two data sets. Human-induced change is largely represented by expansion of the 
area of rain-fed agricultural land. These agricultural gains are significantly offset by losses in 
fadama land resulting from the regulation of stream flow following the construction of the 
Bakolori dam. Results suggest that there has been a reduction of 50%, or approx imately 3,000 
hectares in the area of this most significant land resource. 
CONCLUSIONS 
In this paper, the aim has been to show some of the contributions that remote sensing can 
make to the study of large area projects. The way in which land use/cover can be mapped, and 
in which temporary change can be determined from satellite data has been demonstrated. There 
is no other practical way by which this type of information can be provided. 
Successful completion of the project will provide a substantial and unique source of informa- 
tion to the SRRBDA and the Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture. It is anticipated that demons- 
trated of the techniques used will also be of benefit to other authorities, government agencies 
and perhaps even private land developers, who may wish to adopt a remote sensing strategy 
for their own purposes. : 
Publication of the project results and methodology will increase awareness of the significant 
role of resource information in national development efforts, as well as the roles which remote 
sensing can play in the study of environmental and resource problems. It will also demonstrate 
the value that such techniques may have for areas in Nigeria in which resource information is 
either non-existent or severely dated. Its utility should not be lost on similar areas of West 
Africa. 
The project will provide increased proficiency at the University of Lagos in the teaching and 
applications of remote sensing and cartographic techniques for resource inventory, evaluation 
and development studies. Personnel at the University of Lagos hope that they will subsequently 
be able to persuade national authorities of the value of remote sensing technology in national 
resource planning, and of the desirability of establishing a national centre equipped with appro- 
priate image analysis facilities. In Waterloo, the project offers the opportunity for enhancing 
knowledge of resource problems in Nigeria and of the problems involved in the transfer of 
technology. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The authors are very pleased to acknowledge the financial support provided to this project 
by the International Development Research Centre, of Ottawa. The co-operation of university 
authorities at Lagos and Waterloo is also gratefully acknowledged. rinancial support for the Dipix 
ARIES II image analysis system in the Faculty of Environmental Studies is in part provided by 
the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through an Infras- 
tructure Grant awarded to Drs. LeDrew, Howarth and Newkirk. 
REFERENCES 
Adams, W.M. , (1986), Traditional agriculture and water use in the Sokoto Valley, Nigerin 
Geographical Journal, 152(1), 30-43. 
Adejuwon, J. O., (1971), A biographical survey of the dynamics of savanna vegetation in Nigeria 
Nigerian Geographical Journal, 14(1), 31-48. 
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