Monitoring of land use/land cover changes and its implications in the peri-urban areas using multi-temporal landsat satellite data: a case study of Guwahati city, Assam, India

Abstract

Rapid population growth and urbanization in and around Guwahati city, the state capital of Assam have resulted in tremendous pressure on its limited land and civic infrastructures. Due to severe congestion and shortage of space, people are exploring peri-urban plain and hilly areas around the city and gradually expanding towards adjoining districts for settlement. Earlier studies focused mainly on Guwahati city only and neighboring districts, small and medium towns around the city, and adjacent Meghalaya state have received scant attention in urban policy research. This study evaluates land use land cover changes (LULC) from 1991 to 2021 within the GMDA area and encircling a 50 km buffer from the GMDA boundary. Landsat time series data were used to analyze land use and land cover changes. The result indicates the expansion in built-up areas with a net change of 2.27% from 1991 to 2021 within the 50 km buffer study area. The result indicates the loss of forest class and cultivated land with a net change percentage of 2.12 and 0.84% within the period of 30 years. Apart from the above, the study also reveals an increase in the built-up of 33.25% within the GMDA core area from 1991 to 2021. The impact of these LULC changes shows the expansion of the built-up area beyond the GMDA boundary in the eastern, western, and northwest direction and needs to be regulated for ensuring the planned growth of its outskirts and the surrounding region. Hence through adequate decentralized regional planning, the fast-expanding Guwahati city and its surrounding region can be managed.