Landscape modeling for urban growth characterization and its impact on ecological infrastructure in Delhi-NCR: An approach to achieve SDGs

Abstract

The rapid urbanization in Delhi-NCR has been inducing enormous anthropogenic pressure, result in degraded ecological infrastructure. Therefore, in the present study, the changing landscape pattern in Delhi's urban and peri-urban regions was investigated over the last five decades (1973–2020) using satellite remote sensing and landscape metrics to understand its trends and impacts on ecological infrastructure, especially on green cover space (UGS) that provide an opportunity to evaluate cities' sustainability. The study exhibits significant built-up growth in the peri-urban (516.9% growth; net growth 2407 km2) compared to Delhi urban (236.9%; 431.7 km2), with an overall decline in UGS (−14.3%; −168.60 km2). A large segment of UGS deterioration observed in the peri-urban (31.36%; −327.41 km2 loss) compared to Delhi urban, showed significant UGS recovery (120.25%; 158.81 km2 growth) during the later period. The landscape modeling and Shannon entropy-based study exhibited coalescence in Delhi urban (Hn ≤ 1.5) and dispersion in peri-urban (Hn > 2). The zonal analysis showed a significant dispersion in Panipat, Gurgaon, and Faridabad (Delhi NCR) with the establishment of major socio-economic development and population aggregation. The UGS availability and land consumption analysis highlighted the major hotspots of UGS decline in Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, and Shahdara, within Delhi urban, while in Jhajjar, Gurgaon, and Panipat in the peri-urban regions, having insufficient per capita green spaces (9 m2/person) and high land consumption (>85 m2/person). Moreover, recovery in UGSs (256% during 2014–2020) was observed in the Delhi urban. The study necessitates efficient functioning of the urban ecosystem for making the cities safe, resilient, and inclusive.