Abstract
This paper uses remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS); and descriptive statistics in the assessment of environmental change along the Savannah River Basin of Georgia. Results of the study show that Savannah River basin side of Georgia has been experiencing environmental change due to several decades of relentless pressure induced by anthropocentric activities and host of other socio-economic factors. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis of the area also shows a decline in vegetation cover. The pace of ecological change showed some variations across time and space. Generally, the results point to a decline in water bodies, vegetation, and increase in population, loss of harvested cropland, farms and increasing threats to the environmental systems of the region.
Highlights
This paper stresses a mix scale approach involving the use of descriptive statistics and geospatial technologies of Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing in processing data provided through government sources and data bases from other organizations
The results reveal that Savannah river basin side of Georgia seems to be experiencing environmental change as a result of several decades of relentless pressure induced by anthropocentric activities and host of other socio-economic factors
The pace of ecological change showed some variations across time and space
Summary
Environmental change continues at an alarming proportion in the Southeast region of the United States [1, 2, 3, 4]. The current pace of environmental decline in the region in the form of high rates of land cover change, deforestation, decline in quality and quantity of water bodies and the proliferation of human settlements and pollution have been glaringly felt along the surrounding ecology within the Savannah River basin of Georgia [5]. Farmland operations have fallen drastically in Chatham County along the Savannah River basin as a result development activities [5].In the face of these threats, the need for geospatial analysis of environmental changes is of paramount importance in the area [11]. The efforts consist of a moratorium and the reassessment of current frameworks in the conservation of ecologically sensitive resources such as marshes and wetlands This involves a need to monitor new forms of development in areas prone to high growth. The current population trend in the area has been on the rise and there are indications that by the year 2050, this will rise by 60 percent to 900,000 people [9]
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