Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Climate change and human activities have continued to modify the geomorphic and hydrological properties of the river basin with their far-reaching impacts on water resources, agriculture, and general livelihoods. This study analyzed the morphometric properties and cover dynamics of the River Shemankar Upper Drainage Basin, Plateau State. Results show a 6th -order basin covering 4,249.5 km², with moderate elongation, low drainage density (0.79 km/km²), and high relief of 1,499 m. Agricultural land expanded (51.3%–80.8%), vegetation and rocky outcrops declined, and built-up areas increased (0.5%–3.7%). The regression results show a strong positive relationship (R² = 0.70–0.81) between morphometric properties, rocky outcrops, and agricultural land. Vegetation, on the other hand, has weak inverse effects. Both DEMs produced comparable morphometric results; however, SRTM captured more streams and higher hydrological indices. The ANOVA results (p = 0.285 > 0.05) show no significant difference, validating both datasets are good for hydrological modeling.</p>