Impact of Urban Sprawl on Green Areas of Calabar Metropolis Nigeria

Urban sprawl is one of the issues plaguing the green areas in Calabar Metropolis. Human population is growing exponentially and this urban growth has led to urbanization and accelerated migration which has resulted in what has been named “urban sprawl”, which is the irregular expansion of cities into green areas. The aim of the research is to ascertain the relationship between sprawl and green areas. Data collected revealed that between 2005 and 2024 urbanization increased by 115.2% in 20 years, with many built-up areas growing by as much as 0.39 Hectares per day. While, the green areas (sparse vegetation, thick forest and flooded vegetation) shrinks by 80.33%. The consequence is that the climate is affected in a many ways due to the depletion of the green areas in favour of buildings. To curb/reduce the menace, it is recommended that The Town Planning Department of the Ministry of Lands Calabar has to be proactive through the preparation of structural plans, layout plans ahead of the invasion of the periphery by land speculators. Haphazard/unplanned developments have to be controlled through efficient and regular monitoring of the urban environment. Geospatial techniques should be employed to detect areas that are fast growing and such areas should be planned ahead.