Anthropogenic Factors Influencing the Development of Gullies on the Idah-Ankpa Plateau of North Central Nigeria: A Critical Field Survey

Abstract

The Influence of Anthropogenic factors on the development and proliferation of gullies on the Idah-Ankpa Plateau of the North Central Nigeria is examined in this paper. These factors are most active on the Ajalli Sandstones geological formation, which is the most erodible and happens to house most of the rural and urban settlements in the area. An astronomical increase in human population since the end of the Nigerian civil war is the most prominent factor exacerbating the gully erosion problem. In the rural areas, sunken footpaths used by the communities to their streams and for their inter and intra communal visits create Favourable ground configurations for the initiation of gulling processes. And in the urban centers, improper design and installation of urban drainage structures are the principal causes of gully development, and these have given rise to widespread and uncommon forms of gully erosion dubbed fixed-Head gullies, as well as rejuvenated gullies. Government shall engage qualified engineers in the design and installation of urban drainage works, avoiding the rule of thumb method.