Prediction of Future Land Use/Land Cover Changes Using a Coupled CA-ANN Model in the Upper Omo–Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

Land use/land cover change evaluation and prediction using spatiotemporal data are crucial for environmental monitoring and better planning and management of land use. The main objective of this study is to evaluate land use/land cover changes for the time period of 1991–2022 and predict future changes using the CA-ANN model in the Upper Omo–Gibe River basin. Landsat-5 TM for 1991, 1997, and 2004, Landsat-7 ETM+ for 2010, and Landsat-8 (OLI) for 2016 and 2022 were downloaded from the USGS Earth Explorer Data Center. A random forest machine learning algorithm was employed for LULC classification. The LULC classification result was evaluated using an accuracy assessment technique to assure the correctness of the classification method employing the kappa coefficient. Kappa coefficient values of the classification indicate that there was strong agreement between the classified and reference data. Using the MOLUSCE plugin of QGIS and the CA-ANN model, future LULC changes were predicted. Artificial neural network (ANN) and cellular automata (CA) machine learning methods were made available for LULC change modeling and prediction via the QGIS MOLUSCE plugin. Transition potential modeling was computed, and future LULC changes were predicted using the CA-ANN model. An overall accuracy of 86.53% and an overall kappa value of 0.82 were obtained by comparing the actual data of 2022 with the simulated LULC data from the same year. The study findings revealed that between 2022 and 2037, agricultural land (63.09%) and shrubland (5.74%) showed significant increases, and forest (−48.10%) and grassland (−0.31%) decreased. From 2037 to 2052, the built-up area (2.99%) showed a significant increase, and forest and agricultural land (−2.55%) showed a significant decrease. From 2052 to 2067, the projected LULC simulation result showed that agricultural land (3.15%) and built-up area (0.32%) increased, and forest (−1.59%) and shrubland (−0.56%) showed significant decreases. According to the study’s findings, the main drivers of LULC changes are the expansion of built-up areas and agricultural land, which calls for a thorough investigation using additional data and models to give planners and policymakers clear information on LULC changes and their environmental effects.