GIS-Based Planning for Reforestation Programmes in Plateau State

Deforestation, charcoal production, and agricultural expansion have stripped significant portions of Plateau State's highland forests, contributing to soil erosion, loss of water retention, and biodiversity decline. This study applies GIS to identify priority areas for reforestation in Plateau State and supports spatial planning for a state-wide reforestation programme. Land degradation status maps are produced from Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery, identifying severely degraded and moderately degraded land surfaces. Biophysical site suitability criteria including altitude, slope, rainfall, and soil type are combined with socioeconomic accessibility indicators in a multi-criteria evaluation framework to identify optimal reforestation sites. Results prioritise approximately 180,000 hectares across the Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos LGAs as most suitable for immediate tree planting interventions. Species suitability zones are delineated based on altitude and rainfall gradients to guide indigenous species selection. The study provides a spatial planning framework for the Plateau State Forestry Corporation's afforestation programme under the national Green Imperative Project. Keywords: reforestation, GIS, spatial planning, Plateau State, land degradation