The International Journal Of Engineering And Science (IJES) || Volume || 3 || Issue || 4 || Pages || 71-75 || 2014 || ISSN (e): 2319 – 1813 ISSN (p): 2319 – 1805 www.theijes.com The IJES Page 71 Effect of Urbanization on Greenareas In Calabar Metropolis *Offiong, R.A. 1 & Eteng, O.E Dept. of Geography & Environmental Science, University of Calabar, Nigeria. -------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT--------------------------------------------------- The study examined the effect of urbanization on green areas in Calabar metropolis. The aim of the study was to see how changes in land use due to urbanization have affected the green area in Calabar. Data for the study was obtained from aerial photographs and was considered within the period of2004 to 2012. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (Arc view GIS 9.3 software) technology was used in change detection analysis. The study revealed there was anincrease in the amount of urban developed space from80.96 sq. km in 2004 to 111.26 in 2009 and125.125 in 2012. Therefore, a total of 44.165 sq.kmof urban green space have been lost to built-up areas (urbanization). Based on these, caution should be applied in this increased and sudden urban expansion, as urban green areas play very significant roles in the maintenance and sustenance of ecological balance on the environment and urban ecosystems. KEY WORDS: Effect, Urbanization, Urban Green Areas, Calabar Metropolis, Arc GIS 9.3. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 26 August 2013 Date of Publication: 05 April 2014 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION Urban growth and the concentrationof people in urban areas are creating societal problems world-wide. Onehundred years ago, approximately 15percent of the world's population wasliving in urban areas. Today, the percentage is nearly 50 percent. In the last 200 years, world population hasincreased six times, stressing ecologicaland social systems. Over that sametime period, the urban population hasincreased 100 times, concentratingmore people on less lands even as thetotal land devoted to urbanization expands (Acevedo, 1999). Urbanization has been identified as one of the most powerful and visible anthropogenic forces on earth (Dawson, Hall, Barr, Batty, Bristow, Carney, Walsh, 2006, 2006; United Nations Habitat Report, 2011; Oloke, Ijasan, Ogunde, Amusan & Tunji-Olayeni, 2013). It is a process and outcome of social changes, in-flow andconcentration of people and activities in cities (Adeniji & Ogundiji, 2009; Oloke et al. 2013). The dynamics of the process is drivenby changes in population, employment opportunities associated with industrialization, consumption patterns,international migration and accessibility (Dawson, et al., 2006; Oloke et al. 2013). Within the last two and a half decades, Calabar has experienced unprecedented urban growth. This has led to alternation and alteration of several land uses. These land use alternation and alteration has led to varying degrees of landcover change on features such as urban green areas, wetlands, riparian mangrove forest and other forest and grassland ecosystems;which are currently giving way for the construction of new roads, new residential and industrial layouts, recreation and amusement parks etc. (Hansen et al. 2005; Oka, 2009). According to Atu, Offiong, Eni, Eja, &Esien, (2012), ), in the past decade, the city’s built up area burst outward in an explosion of sprawl that consumed former agricultural land at a break-neck pace. Thousands of hectares of agricultural land are covered by concrete and asphalt as new roads are created and existing ones are extended. Over 5,200.09 hectares of the former agricultural land at Ekorinim, Esuk Utan, Edim-Otop, Anantigha, and Ikot Efanga have been converted to low density residential, commercial and industrial uses as these areas are merged with the urban areas. This development is consequent on the growth of the population of Calabar. For instance in 1991, the population of Calabar was 328, 876, with a density of less than a thousand person per square kilometer. In 2006, it was 375, 196. At present, the population of Calabar is estimated to be over 399, 761 (National population Commission 2010) while the population density is above 1,237 persons per square kilometer (Cross River State Economic Blueprint 2007-2008).