Visibility Analysis for Surveillance Purposes in Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Visibility analysis determines the perceptibility of certain areas from a given viewpoint or set of viewpoints for surveillance purposes to thwart the security challenges in Modibbo Adama University (MAU), Yola. The study conducted a visibility analysis to identify optimal locations for CCTV surveillance at MAU, Yola, in order to address security concerns. Using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) as the primary dataset, the study analyzed the terrain in ESRI ArcMap 10.4.1 to visualize elevation and landscape structure. Twelve high-elevation points were selected as potential CCTV camera locations. A visibility analysis was carried out using these points, treating the DEM as a raster surface and the selected locations as observer points. Observer parameters included surface and observer offsets, viewing radii, and angles. Observer height was varied (2.50m, 6.00m, and 10.00m), revealing that increasing observer height expanded the visible area while reducing blind spots. However, some areas remained obscured due to tall buildings and vegetation. The study concluded that visibility analysis is a valuable tool for planning surveillance infrastructure, highlighting its importance in enhancing campus security.