Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Sand Dunes Migration in the Bulatura Oases Sector of Chad Basin National Park, Nigeria

Abstract

The Bulatura Oases Sector of Chad Basin National Park is the only portion of Nigeria’s National Park showcasing sand-based ecotourism.  Despite its 54 years functional existence, no information abounds on dune’s location, distribution and migration hence the need for this study to provide the missing information to enhance effective ecotourism planning, infrastructural development, environmental management and desertification control in the last 2 decades. The study seeks to (i) assess sand dune’s locations in 2003, 2013 and 2023 (ii) determine dune’s distribution patterns over the above stated time periods and (iii) assess dune’s migration pattern in the study area using geospatial analytical techniques to analyzed primary data obtained from google earth imageries. The result shows that in 2003, dunes were more in the northern, south-central and south-western parts of the study area compared to the extreme south-south. In 2013 and 2023 however, dunes were more concentrated in the northern and central parts with more dunes in the south-east of Kukatatawa in 2013 compared to 2023. Dune’s distribution pattern observed were dispersed in 2003 and clustered in 2013 and 2023 with the number of dunes being 182 in 2003, 574 in 2013 and 440 in 2023. The average migration pattern from 2003-2023 was 35.95m²/year in the N-S, E-W and W-E directions. The study concluded that although ecotourism infrastructures in the study area are not severely threatened however, they should not be centralized but strategically located according to dune’s migration direction to avoid redundancy. The study recommended the stabilization of sand dunes to mitigate its threats on ecotourism infrastructures in the study area.