Impact of Land Use Change on Local Rainfall Patterns in Enugu State

The relationship between land use transformation and local climate modification is well established in international literature, yet remains underexplored in Nigeria's South East geopolitical zone. This study investigates the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on observed rainfall patterns in Enugu State, combining remote sensing analysis with meteorological station records. Multi-temporal Landsat imagery from 2000, 2010, and 2022 was classified using supervised maximum likelihood classification to quantify transitions in forest cover, agricultural land, and urban areas. Corresponding monthly rainfall data from three NiMet stations in Enugu State were subjected to Mann-Kendall trend analysis to detect statistically significant changes in precipitation totals and seasonal onset dates. Results reveal a 34 percent reduction in forest cover over the study period, coinciding with a discernible shortening of the rainy season by approximately 12 days and increased intra-seasonal dry spell occurrence. A positive correlation between deforestation intensity and rainfall deficit was identified using Pearson correlation analysis. The study highlights how uncontrolled urban expansion and agricultural encroachment on forest reserves have degraded the land-atmosphere moisture feedback mechanisms that sustain regional rainfall. Recommendations include enforcement of Enugu State's Forest Reserve Act and adoption of agroforestry practices in transitional land areas. Keywords: land use change, rainfall, deforestation, Enugu, Mann-Kendall.