Effects of Surface Mining and Infrastructural Development on Rural Resources Degradation in Part of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Increase in intervention with the Earth’s surface for various purposes affects environmental resources. In Hong Local Government Area from 1976 to 2009 there have been increases in        laterite harvesting, road networks and settlement sites with adverse effects on rural resources.               The types of data required are information related to mining pits, rural resources harvested and types of infrastructural developments that were generated from landsat images, the field, respondents and published related materials. The materials used for data collection were measuring tape, Global Position System and interview schedule. ArcGIS (Version 9.3) was               used to analyze the landsat imageries. The scope covers Hong Local Government Area. The                 focus was to identify the rural resources that are adversely affected by surface mining                            and infrastructural development. The result indicates that rural resources such as vegetation, surface water and economic lands have decreased significantly due to increase in pits, dump                   hills and infrastructural development. It is recommended that pits and quarry sites should be reclaimed through landfill by the construction companies. Furthermore, fast growing and economic trees that are adapted to the environment should be planted on the affected areas by community members to improve vegetation cover. Likewise, prospective research should be conducted to determine the species and magnitude of the endangered wild animals. The result implies an increase in mining and infrastructural developments lead to degradation of vegetation, surface water and economic land on the affected areas.