Using Geospatial Information Technology in Natural Resources Management: The Case of Urban Land Management In West Africa

In the past several decades, Lagos Metropolis emerged as one of the fastesturbanizing cities in the West African Sub-region. In the absence of a regular use ofgeospatial information management systems, limited effort had been made to keep track ofchanges in the natural environment in the rapidly growing city for policy making in landadministration. The ubiquitous energy radiated by the rapid urbanization rate in the areanot only created unprecedented consequences by diminishing the quality of theenvironment and natural resources but it raises serious implications for land managementin the region. The factors fuelling the land crisis in the area which are not far fetchedconsists of socio-economic, ecological and policy elements. To tackle these issues in amega city, up-to-date knowledge would be required to capture and analyze landinformation trends. Such an effort will help manage the city ￠ € s expansion as well asinfrastructure development through the right choices in planning and (spatial) designsusing the latest tools in geospatial technologies of Geographic Information Systems GIS)and remote sensing. This study investigates the spatial implications of the rapid expansionof metropolitan Lagos for land management using GIS and Remote sensing technology.The result of the research provides a valuable road map that can enable planners contributeto improved land administration necessary for effective management of natural resources.