Browsing by Author "Tilakasiri, Senadheera Lionel"

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    An Assessment of the Trend of Deforestation and its Impact on the Changing Climate in North Central Nigeria
    (Modern Sri Lanka Studies, A journal of the Social Sciences, 2020) Olanrewaju, Rhoda Mojisola; Tilakasiri, Senadheera Lionel; Kayode, Aro Joseph; Malik, Nurudeen Adesola
    Deforestation has become a major environmental issue in the world today especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where forest wood is worth more to people than their wellbeing in the long run. Thus, the forest cover is constantly depleted due to its use as fuel and in the manufacture of paper and charcoal. Nigeria has the world's highest deforestation rate of primary forests according to revised deforestation figures from the Global Forest Resources Assessment of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2015). Between 2000 and 2005 the country has lost 55.7% of its primary forests and is currently estimated to having only 6% of its entire land area covered by forests. Logging, subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuelwood are cited as leading causes for the forest clearing in the West African country. Deforestation is considered to be one of the major contributing factors to global climate change. This research aims at assessing the trends in deforestation in North Central Nigeria with respect to changes in climatic parameters while also seeking to educate locals on how their actions like deforestation and bush burning are constantly modifying the climate. Changes in the extent of the forest cover were studied over 32 years with a 10-year time step using satellite images obtained from the United States geological survey archive and the Idrisi image analyst software, while climatic parameters for the study area (rainfall and temperature) were obtained from the archive of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Oshodi, Nigeria. The data was analyzed using the trend line equation for the same period. The results of the forest cover change were mapped and overlaid to determine the extent of forest cover change and its implication on changes in climate. The results reveal a decline in rainfall and a rise in Annual temperature averages. The rate of forest depletion was 17.38% between 1987 and 2018 with an additional 30.1% decline in the light vegetation over the same period. Changes in built up areas and densely vegetated forest areas have a highly statistically significant influence of R2 above 90% and P-value <0.05 on maximum temperature
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    Effect of charcoal production on environmental degradation in guinea savanna ecological zone of Nigeria
    (School of environmental technology, federal university of technology, Minna, Nigeria, 2015) Olanrewaju, Rhoda Monisola; Iroye, Kayode Ademola; Tilakasiri, Senadheera Lionel
    The study examines the effects of charcoal production on soil properties around mound sites in guinea savannah region of Nigeria. Soil samples at 1Ocm depths were collected at equidistance position of I meter over a distance of 8 meters away from 3 mound sites. The collected soil samples were subsequently analysed at University of llorin laboratories for physical and chemical characteristics. Unlike findings reported in previous studies biomass burning at the mounds in this study did not result in increase of soil micro nutrient, rather an increase in soils chemical characteristics were observed as distance increases from the mounds. The implication of this finding is that charcoal production in the study area is robbing the soil of its essential minerals. Reason for this may however not be unconnected with dry season period the data was collected when rain has not fallen to leach the nutrients from the burnt biomass into the soil. The study also revealed that heat influence at the study sites were only limited to 5 meters distance away from the mounds. This might be because the soil in the area is basically sandy and poor conductor of heat. The general implication of the findings of this research is that, at local level, the damage done to the environment by wood combustion into charcoal may not be as terrible as the havoc caused by the cutting down of trees. The study thus concludes that, the effect of the charcoal production on soil will vary with climatic region.
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    IMPACT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON ROAD ACCIDENT ALONG LAGOS- IBADAN EXPRESS WAY, NIGERIA
    (Association of Nigeria Geographers, 2016-09) Adeleke, Elisha Ademola; Malik, Nurudeen Adesola; Tilakasiri, Senadheera Lionel
    This study tries to appraise extreme weather events on road accidents over a period of 10 years (2004- 2013) and also examines the frequency of fatal, major and minor accidents in relation to weather conditions along the Lagos-I badan expressway. The data collected include the yearly occurrence of road traffic accidents along the Lagos Ibadan expressway (2004 2013), weather elements such as minimum and maximum Temperature, Rainfall amount, Wind speed, Relative Humidity and Sunshine hours. Data on road accidents (Reported cases, casualties and vehicles involved) were collected from the Federal Road Safety Commission, Moniya, Ibadan and Nigeria Police Force Headquarters Eleyele, Ibadan while weather variables were collected from Nigerian Meteorological Agency Oshodi, Lagos state. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics including tables, charts, Trend analysis, Analysis of Variance, Regression and Correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that some climatic factors examined work together to cause road accidents. Hence, weather conditions have a pronounced impact on road accidents because fog, slippery roads, flood, erosion, visibility, smoke, dew, heat and radiation one way or the other affect the easy movement of vehicles thereby resulting in different forms of accident. The study recommends that Federal Road Safety Commission and other relevant agencies should organize workshops and seminars for the drivers on the etiquette of being safety conscious on the highways.