Analysing Process and Probability of Built-Up Expansion Using Machine Learning and Fuzzy Logic in English Bazar, West Bengal

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the process of built-up expansion and the probability of built-up expansion in the English Bazar Block of West Bengal, India, using multitemporal Landsat satellite images and an integrated machine learning algorithm and fuzzy logic model. The land use and land cover (LULC) classification were prepared using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for 2001, 2011, and 2021. The landscape fragmentation technique using the landscape fragmentation tool (extension for ArcGIS software) and frequency approach were proposed to model the process of built-up expansion. To create the built-up expansion probability model, the dominance, diversity, and connectivity index of the built-up areas for each year were created and then integrated with fuzzy logic. The results showed that, during 2001–2021, the built-up areas increased by 21.67%, while vegetation and water bodies decreased by 9.28 and 4.63%, respectively. The accuracy of the LULC maps for 2001, 2011, and 2021 was 90.05, 93.67, and 96.24%, respectively. According to the built-up expansion model, 9.62% of the new built-up areas was created in recent decades. The built-up expansion probability model predicted that 21.46% of regions would be converted into built-up areas. This study will assist decision-makers in proposing management strategies for systematic urban growth that do not damage the environment.