Spatial Analysis of the Impacts of Kainji Hydropower Dam on the Down Stream Communities

Spatial Analysis of the Impacts of Kainji Hydropower Dam on the Down Stream Communities

The effect of human interference with the natural river course at the upper, middle or lower course has always been negative on the bordering ecosystem including human settlements. This is exactly the case of the River Niger right from its source in Futa-Jalon Highlands (Sierra Leone) down to its delta in Nigeria. This paper examined the spatial transformation of the downstream sector of Kainji Dam and its effect on those communities within two and half kilometers away from the river course using satellite image (Landsat 7 MSS), Topographical maps and field survey.