Urban Dynamics and Resource Consumption: A Case Study of NCT of Delhi

Abstract

Urbanization is a global multidimensional process that is manifest through rapidly changing human population densities and changing land use/cover. A significant facet of Indian urbanization has been greater concentration of population in metropolitan cities, especially in the recent years. Delhi is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The population pressure is immense on the urban ecosystem to provide basic facilities to its residents. The rapid migration toward Delhi has changed the land use/land cover (LULC) status of the capital city. The analysis revealed that substantial growth of built-up areas in NCT of Delhi over the study period resulted significant decrease in the area of water bodies, cultivated land, vegetation, and wetlands. Rapid urban expansion through infilling of surrounding areas and clearing of vegetation resulted in a wide range of environmental impacts including habitat quality. This paper describes the process of urbanization and land use changes in the urban ecosystems of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi and analyzes its impact on Ecosystem Services (ES). Two types of land use change are considered from natural to urban and from agricultural to urban. This paper has evaluates the LULC changes and urban expansion in NCT, Delhi and highlights the major impact of rapid urbanization and population growth on the LULC changes which needs immediate attention. This paper has emphasis on the urban planning to be applied such that more consideration is toward the conservation and management of natural land use classes which will increase the quality of life in an urban environment with sustainable development approaches.