Impact assessment of encroachments along peri-urban areas, ecological zones, and floodplains in selected wetlands and waterways in Southwest Nigeria

Authors

  • John Adekunle Adesina University of Lagos, Department of Architecture, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria / Nanjing Forestry University, College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2445-7737
  • Nnezi Uduma-Olugu University of Lagos, Department of Architecture, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
  • Xiaolan Tang Nanjing Forestry University, College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.rbeur.202541

Keywords:

Regional Planning, Urban Infrastructure, Urbanization, Floodplain, Landscape Planning, Peri-urban Areas, Sustainable Design and Development

Abstract

Cities are characterized by high population density, modern amenities, and urban infrastructure. Considering the rate of urban growth around the suburbs, peri-urban regions are those located outside major cities, presenting a combination of urban and rural features, which means they are places with low population density that prioritize agribusiness, communal activities, and unspoiled landscapes. These lowland communities and the rapidly growing Lagos-Ogun floodplain demand strategic landscape design due to the widespread effects of floods and related risks in Southwest Nigeria. Due to their proximity to the Lagos shoreline and the urban infrastructure connecting them to the Lagos metropolis, these rising settlements need the regional and strategic physical design of the towns that are now known as “new Lagos Cities.” These settlements, located in Northern Lagos and also known as Development Pressure Areas (DPAs), are facing considerable development pressure from the nearby suburbs. The present study assessed the current characteristics of a few chosen residential and agricultural communities in DPAs, as well as the flood catastrophes that occurred between April and November 2023. The purpose of this article is to provide a regional conceptual framework and appropriate landscape planning as a means of reducing flood threats. The on-site data concerning the research were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study area is made up of five Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the three recognized ecological zones within them. They were mapped out and examined to determine the extent, impacts, and effects of the recurring flooding. Three town planners, one surveyor, one trainee surveyor, two landscape architects, and five freshmen from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning from different universities in Southwest Nigeria conducted the on-site assessments. The analysis took into account the following urban elements: population; land use; economic, physical, and social infrastructure; urban migration indexes regarding inhabitants and farmers; and other recognized urban traits associated with growing cities. The conclusion emphasized the urgent need for prompt action from governmental bodies, agencies, and professionals in urban and ecological planning to develop robust and sustainable solutions for reducing the effects of water damage and runoffs on the local population, on waterway networks, and on physical development in a city or region.

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Author Biographies

John Adekunle Adesina, University of Lagos, Department of Architecture, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria / Nanjing Forestry University, College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

Adjunct lecturer, research assistant, and research fellow at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Lagos. His research is focused on the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning/design and his research interests include biodiversity conservation, urban green infrastructure, national parks, national nature reserves, protected area management systems, and biophilia as a sustainable design framework for urban planning and development. He has attended research conferences in Nigeria and abroad, where he presented and published papers. He is an environmental enthusiast and is currently working in Nigeria and abroad as an architect, landscape architect, builder, and facilities manager. His doctoral dissertation centers on biodiversity conservation and urban green infrastructure for ecological urbanism.

Nnezi Uduma-Olugu, University of Lagos, Department of Architecture, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria

Associate professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos. She set up her firm, Designedscapes Ltd., in 1997. Arising from the need to establish a Master’s program in Landscape Architecture (MLA, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa), she joined the CAA-accredited Department of Architecture of the University of Lagos, where she, along with her colleagues, was at the forefront of establishing the acclaimed MLA program, currently working as its coordinator m. A chartered architect and landscape architect, she is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and has been vice-president of the Society of Landscape Architecture of Nigeria (SLAN). She is also a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and the Association of Architectural Educators in Nigeria (AARCHES). She is widely published and was among the notable female architects featured in the book Nigerian Women of Impact: In Architecture.

Xiaolan Tang, Nanjing Forestry University, College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

Professor at the College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China. Her research topics mainly include biodiversity conservation and the conservation of national parks and protected areas. She has published many articles in relevant scientific journals and has presented papers at numerous academic conferences in China and abroad.

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Published

2025-07-02

How to Cite

Adesina, J. A., Uduma-Olugu, N., & Tang, X. (2025). Impact assessment of encroachments along peri-urban areas, ecological zones, and floodplains in selected wetlands and waterways in Southwest Nigeria. Revista Brasileira De Estudos Urbanos E Regionais, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.rbeur.202541

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Vol. 27 No. 1 (2025): Janeiro-Dezembro

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