Analysis and implications of swampy lands development in Major City of Nigeria

With the current trend and challenges of built-up swamp, many urban centres are experiencing consistent flooding and food insecurity causing huge damages and losses. The aim of the study was to analyse the implications of swampy development and the concern before the contributors of physical development in Nigeria. It explores the institutional arrangement for swamp management, planning measures that have been undertaken to reduce non-scientific development and management of swamplands, and possible ways to enhance the application of urban planning to reduce built-up swamp and management. However, the strength of physical planning in mitigating the development of swamp is well recognised. Also inadequate plans and poor enforcement makes development of swamp preparedness, response and recovery laughable hence resilience is frail .This study therefore set out to disentangle pertinent land uses that vanished swampland in Port Harcourt, ascertain the pattern and consequences of the encroachment in to swampy land. The research employed structured questionnaire techniques for data collection while Pearson product moment Correlation coefficient and mathematical percentage (MP) were the analytical tools used. The findings show that transportation land use (r = .262 p>.05), industrial land uses (r = .211 p>.05), residential land uses (r = .358 p>.05) commercial (r = .222 p>.05) and institutional were the significant factors for sprawling and by extension the development of swampy land in Port Harcourt urban space. In addition, the result also shows that the loss of food security (23%), recreation (11%), education and research services (15%), tourism/recreation (17%), open space and aesthetics (17%) cultural value (17%) are the major effects. The study concluded with recommendations that town planning board, authorities and registered town planners in consultancy services should advice state government on the risk and challenges of buildings on swamp regions and blockage of water ways of Port Harcourt Nigeria.