Land use/land cover change detection and urban sprawl in the peri-urban area of greater Cairo since the Egyptian revolution of 2011

Abstract

ABSTRACT Land use/land cover (LULC) has changed dramatically in the peri-urban area (PUA) of greater Cairo (GC) since the Egyptian revolution of 2011. This study analyzes LULC change in the PUA of GC using two Landsat images from 2010 and 2018. The spatial trends of LULC change and visualizations of the gains and losses in LULC were analyzed using TerrSet software. The driving forces of LULC change from 2010–2018 were quantified using the logistic regression model (LRM). The results revealed that the processes of LULC change and urban sprawl have directly impacted the natural resources, particularly agricultural land. In addition, the study showed that the population growth and land value have the highest regression coefficients, 0.660 and 0.292, respectively, and were the most significant driving forces of LULC from 2010–2018. The outcomes of this study are important for decision-makers to adopt appropriate strategies for sustainable land use in this area.