Posted inEnvironmental & Material Sciences │ Volume 4 Issue 3

The Impacts of Deforestation on The Ecology and Food Security in The Mubi Region of Adamawa State

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Publication: 30/12/2025

Page: 1-13

Volume 4 Issue 3

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Gadiga, B. L., Peter, Y. (2025). The Impacts of Deforestation on The Ecology and Food Security in The Mubi Region of Adamawa State. IRESPUB Journal of Environmental & Material Sciences, 4(3), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.62179/irespub-jems.v4i3.1

Bulus Luka Gadiga & Yohanna Peter

Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Adamawa State University, Mubi

 
Abstract

This study explores how deforestation is reshaping both the ecology and food security of the Mubi Region of Adamawa State, Nigeria, which includes Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North, and Mubi South. Using a combination of remote sensing techniques (Landsat and Sentinel imagery from 1973–2023), NDVI analysis, and household surveys involving respondents, the research provides a detailed picture of the changes over time. Results reveal a significant 12.5% decline in vegetation cover (from 87.7% to 75.2%) alongside a dramatic 12-fold increase in built-up areas (from 0.9% to 12.5%). These land use shifts have had far-reaching consequences, including reduced soil fertility (down to 65.4%), shrinking water resources (from 0.8% to 0.4%), and worsening food insecurity evident in the 80.1% of households reporting declining crop yields. Regression analysis highlights deforestation as the strongest predictor of livelihood vulnerability (β = 0.72, p < 0.01). The main drivers include agricultural expansion, widespread dependence on fuelwood (reported by 74.9% of households), displacement due to insecurity, and the growing pressures of climate variability. To address these challenges, the study recommends strategies such as community-based reforestation, the adoption of climate-resilient farming techniques, clean energy alternatives to reduce fuelwood reliance, and land governance systems that are sensitive to conflict and displacement. The also study stresses the urgent need for integrated policies that balance ecological restoration with food security in Nigeria’s Sudano-Sahelian zone, while directly supporting SDGs 2, 3, 13, and 15.

 
Keywords

Deforestation; Food Security; Land Use Change; Mubi Region; Climate Resilience

 
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