APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING IN MONITORING AND MODELING URBAN SPRAWL IN JOS NORTH AND JOS SOUTH LGAS OF PLATEAU STATE

The search-light of this article was beamed at Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas because of the unprecedented and un-planned growth with massive expansion experienced over the years; with visible evolution that is substantial in all its ramifications. The temperate climate, natural and beautiful topological attractions which caused the influx of admirers that brought about abrupt swollen population in the city centers. The two cities (Jos and Bukuru) have experienced improved infrastructures, despite the perennial in-security suffered in the past ten (10) years. The aftermath of these crises gave rise to clusters of settlements around the city centers and along the fringes thereby expanding their boundaries. Urbanization is considered as the most influential driver of land use and land cover changes The integration of remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques made it possible and effective tool for detecting urban sprawl and modeling of changes over a period of time. In order to maintain a systematic urban growth pattern at regional or global level, effective planning policy must be put in place at the local level of authority before gravitating to the centre. This aimed at quantifying the magnified urban growth in Jos North and Jos South LGAs of Plateau State using Shannon’s Entropy Approach to measure growth with the aim of determining the compactness or dispersion of built-up land growth in Jos and Bukuru urban centers. The entropy values obtained for this study was 0.15in2000 and 0.54 in the year 2015, while in the year 2024 the entropy value was 0.234; all are very close to the upper limit value of log(n) i.e.,-1.og. 4 indicating a dispersed growth. The study also emphasized the potential of LandSatTM data, Global landcover facility (GLCF) and(United State Geological Survey (USGS) data, which covered both Jos North and Jos South LGAs and environs for a period of 24 years and it has a path and row of P188 and R53. The findings facilitated the understanding of the present and projecting the future growth scenarios. Furthermore, preparation of effective planning and management strategies for controlled and systematic urban growth both at states and local government areas that have the tendency of growth be encouraged at all levels.