Integration of GIS and Markov chain model for land use change assessment: A case study in the upstream Ba river basin, Gia Lai province

Abstract

Ba river is the biggest river system in the South-Central Coast of Vietnam and plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the region. Recently, land-use changes in Gia Lai province have been significantly transformed. Hence, to provide the information for land-use planning, there is an urgent need for land-use change assessment in the upstream Ba river basin. This study employed the Markov chain coupled with GIS to assess land-use changes between 2010 - 2015 and 2015 - 2020 periods. The results showed that during the period 2010 - 2015, there was no significant conversion of agricultural and reserve forest land. Meanwhile, a large proportion of unused (86%) and water and aquacultural land (57.5%) was converted into the other land-use types. Between 2020 and 2015, unused land decreased while the surface water and aquacultural land increased. The forest land accounted for a significant area (51.16%) during the 2015 - 2020 period. In addition, the driving forces leading to these changes were also analyzed, providing a more comprehensive of land-use change in the study area. In general, GIS and Markov were suitable for assessing land-use change. This study outcomes provide a general framework for land-use planning in Gia Lai province.