Development of a Web-Based Platform for Monitoring Erosion-Prone Areas in Enugu North Senatorial Zone

Soil erosion is one of the most severe environmental threats in Southeast Nigeria, with communities in Enugu North Senatorial Zone among those significantly affected by advancing gully erosion that destroys farmland, roads, and residential infrastructure. Despite periodic government intervention efforts, the absence of a systematic, data-driven digital monitoring platform has limited the effectiveness of erosion management initiatives in the zone, as assessments remain infrequent and geographically inconsistent. This study developed a web-based platform for monitoring erosion-prone areas across Enugu North Senatorial Zone, supporting the continuous collection, mapping, and analysis of erosion data to inform intervention prioritisation. The platform was built using PHP, MySQL, and Leaflet.js for interactive geospatial mapping, with data input modules for field officers to submit erosion site assessments including location coordinates, erosion severity ratings, affected land use categories, and photographic documentation. An administrative analytics dashboard aggregated site data into severity heatmaps and trend reports accessible to environmental management agencies. The platform was validated using secondary erosion data collected from documented sites in Igbo-Eze North, Udenu, and Igbo-Eze South LGAs within the senatorial zone. Map rendering accuracy and report generation were confirmed through iterative testing. Environmental management consultants who reviewed the platform identified it as a practical tool for government-level erosion intervention planning. The study concluded that digital monitoring platforms are essential to modern environmental governance in erosion-affected zones of Enugu State.

Keywords: erosion monitoring, Enugu North, geospatial mapping, environmental management, web platform