Urban expansion mapping: an analysis of land cover change and sustainability in Delhi using GIS (2000–2025)

Most previous applications of coarse scale remote sensing data for land-cover mapping and land-cover change analysis were based on multi-temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. Recent empirical studies have documented that the combination of measurements of thermal infrared radiation (e.g., land brightness temperature, Ts) and vegetation indices (VI) improves the mapping and monitoring of land cover at broad scales. We investigate the biophysical justification for such a combination, using 10 years of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) global area coverage ( GAC) data over the African continent. First, we review recent findings on the biophysical interpretation of the TS-VI space. Second, we analyse the seasonal time trajectories of different biomes in the TS-NDVI space. Third, we measure the relative role of multi-temporal NDVI and Ts data in the discrimination of land cover classes for land-cover mapping. Fourth, we analyse trajectories of land-cover change in the TS-NDVI space for study sites in three different environments. We illustrate the usefulness of the ratio between Ts and VI as an index to perform measurements in the Tj-NDVI space.

Analysis of the influence of greenbelts on urban growth in Korea using the remote sensing technique

. Deforestation activities in Indonesia are increasingly becoming a real concern. All of these actions resulted in the loss of 50% of the world's tropical forests, impacting the livelihoods of forest-dependent people. Changes in land cover are common in natural resource use areas. Land change is an important issue for planners and policymakers. One of them is the encroachment of the Holiday Resort Nature Park (HRNP) area of North Sumatra Province, which is a form of forest governance and weak law enforcement. Especially in this area, there are Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus), which are classified as critically endangered species. Analysis of land cover change can be used as material for formulating policies. By utilizing the Geographic Information System (GIS), it will be easier to analyze land cover and land use changes. The purpose of this study was to analyze land cover changes due to deforestation at HRNP. Spatial analysis of cover change using imagery and testing the accuracy of deforestation data, land cover satellite imagery, and verification in the field. The results showed that during the past 30 years, there has been deforestation from secondary dryland forest of 2079.3 ha to forest, namely swamp shrubs covering an area of 30.5 ha (1.5%) and non-forest covering an area of 2048.8 ha (98.6%). The highest deforestation rate occurred from 1996 to 2000 as much as 2027.3 ha (97.5%). The form of land cover due to deforestation is plantations 1990.8 ha (95.7%) and land cover forms 57.8 ha (2.8%). The conclusion shows that deforestation was triggered by weak law enforcement from the beginning until now, thus providing a more realistic opportunity for communities to encroach

In Indonesia, land cover change for agriculture and mining is threatening tropical forests, biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, land cover change is highly dynamic and complex and varies over time and space. In this study, we combined Landsat-based land cover (change) mapping, pixel-to-pixel cross tabulations and expert knowledge to analyze land cover change and forest loss in the West Kutai and Mahakam Ulu districts in East Kalimantan from 1990–2009. We found that about one-third of the study area changed in 1990–2009 and that the different types of land cover changes in the study area increased and involved more diverse and characteristic trajectories in 2000–2009, compared to 1990–2000. Degradation to more open forest types was dominant, and forest was mostly lost due to trajectories that involved deforestation to grasslands and shrubs (~17%), and to a lesser extent due to trajectories from forest to mining and agriculture (11%). Trajectories from forest to small-scale mixed cropland and smallholder rubber occurred more frequently than trajectories to large-scale oil palm or pulpwood plantations; however, the latter increased over time. About 11% of total land cover change involved multiple-step trajectories and thus “intermediate” land cover types. The combined trajectory analysis in this paper thus contributes to a more comprehensive analysis of land cover change and the drivers of forest loss, which is essential to improve future land cover projections and to support spatial planning.

Abstract. Thoha AS, Saraswita N, Sulistiyono N, Wiranata D, Sirait SM, Inaldi R. 2022. Analysis of land cover changes due to forest fires in Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 1420-1426. Forest and land fires occur almost every year with significant impacts and losses on the environment and various sectors including conservation areas. Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP) is a conservation area in danger of losing its forest cover due to slash-and-burn land clearing. This study aimed to analyze land cover changes due to forest and land fires in GLNP of North Sumatera Province. Data of hotspots, satellite images, land cover maps, and field verification were used to see the transition of land cover changes before and after forest and land fires. Temporal and spatial analyses were carried out to see the trend of these changes. Field surveys were also conducted to verify hotspots as locations for forest fires, burned land, and human activities causing the fires. This study found that 2010 had the highest hotspots reported from 2001 to 2019. There were indications of a fairly massive forest fire in 2010, as evidenced by the identification of burned land on satellite images. The burned land was near the outer boundary of the GLNP area and expanded into the area in the following period. Before 2010, the area of the non-forest cover was not too large. After 2010, there was an increase in non-forest land cover, presumably due to increased access to enter the area after the forest was cleared after the fire. During almost 20 years, the primary dryland forest in the study area remained only 6% of the initial area. At least more than 200 ha of forest area is reduced in the study area every year. The burned lands in the following years tended to become plantation land. Plantation land cover increased by around 90% during 2000-2019 in the research sites. This study expects that GLNP management and various parties need to prevent the expansion of forest clearing because the strategic role of GLNP as a world heritage is currently in danger.

Background: Land cover change is an ongoing phenomenon with significant impacts on the environment and human quality of life. An analysis of land cover change was conducted in the Magelang area, which includes both Magelang Regency and Magelang City, over a period of fifteen years from 2007 to 2023. This study aims to analyze these changes using spatial methods based on land cover maps from 2007 and 2023. Method: In this analysis, land cover was classified into five categories: settlements, dry fields, paddy fields, forests, and plantations, and then compared between the two years. Result: The analysis results demonstrate a significant increase in the area of settlements and dry fields, reflecting urban and rural development. On the other hand, there has been a decrease in the area of paddy fields and forests, which may be related to land conversion for industrial or infrastructure purposes. The change in the area of plantations was not significant, indicating continuity in the management of these lands. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the dynamics of land cover change in the region and can serve as a basis for further actions to maintain a balance between development and environmental conservation. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study presents the first longitudinal spatial analysis of land cover changes over 15 years (2007–2023), revealing significant trends in urban and rural land use dynamics. This study provides a scientific basis for sustainable spatial planning by highlighting the urgency to balance development infrastructure with preserving farmland and forests.

The problem of changes in land cover is caused by two main factors, namely natural factors and human factors. Natural factors include landslides, erosion, floods, while human factors are closely related to population growth, livelihooods, accesibility, but the main factor is the increase in population, causing the need for space and land to increase. This research aims to identify changes in land cover that occurred in 2013, 2018, and 2023 using Landsat 8 image data, followed by an assessment of the percentage of vegetation cover (PPV) in the Biang Loe River Watershed. Analysis of land cover changes using the Geographic Information System (GIS) via the overlay method and permanently vegetated land to assess PPV. In the 2013-2018 and 2018-2023 periods, the dominant land cover classes that experienced changes were mixed dry land agriculture and dry land agriculture. The area of mixed dry land farming was 1.728,67 ha in the 2013-2018 period and 1.710,74 ha in the 2018-2023 period. Permanent vegetation cover increased by 3.37 ha in the 2013-2018 period and by 4.41 ha in the 2018-2023 period. The average PPV value in 2013, 2018, and 2023 is 24.46% and is included in the bad category.

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes have been one of the most important and persistent factors recently causing changes in the Earth’s land. The present study aimed to detect land use and land cover (LULC) changes in Baluchistan, in Southwestern Asia, which is shared by the three countries of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, using satellite remote-sensing products. To this end, the global land cover classification provided for a period of 13 years from 2001 to 2013 by the MODIS Land Cover Type product (MCD12Q1) was used. The changes and dynamics of different land cover classes were investigated using net change analysis and cross-tabulating matrix analysis methods. The net change analysis showed that the most area of Baluchistan is covered by the barren or sparsely vegetated land cover (about 82%) and the shrubland (about 16%) classes. The dynamics analysis of different land cover classes also indicated that there were almost mutually inverse relationships between the different land cover classes in Baluchistan. Such mutual relationships were most common between the following pair classes: shrublands—bare and non-vegetated lands; grasslands—bare and non-vegetated land classes; croplands—bare and non-vegetated lands classes; and shrublands—grasslands. The most unstable land cover classes in this territory were forests, Savannas, and grassland classes. Also, the analysis of land cover changes in the period 2001–2013 provided no clear and accurate evidence of desertification and land degradation at this spatial scale in Baluchistan.

Accuracy comparison and driving factor analysis of LULC changes using multi-source time-series remote sensing data in a coastal area

This study describes the results of research work on the long-term analysis of land cover changes caused by mining activities in the Strzelin quarries between 1884 and 2023. The primary aim of this study was to analyse long-term landscape changes resulting from granite and gneiss extraction, using a land cover classification adapted to mining conditions. To achieve this, a methodological framework was developed that combines historical cartographic sources with geospatial data, enabling a reconstruction of post-mining land transformations. The framework incorporated rarely utilized historical maps such as 19th-century Messtischblatt maps, with spatial datasets including orthophotos and geospatial databases. The methodology is based on georeferencing and manual vectorisation of open-access data, followed by classification and topological validation to ensure spatial consistency across the time series. The results of the study indicate significant changes in the landscape, in particular an almost threefold increase in the area of mining sites between 2004 and 2023, as well as the appearance of spontaneous vegetation succession and formation of water bodies in areas where mines have been liquidated. The study also documents parallel urbanisation trends and infrastructure development, highlighting the complex interaction between industrial activity and socio-environmental processes. This work contributes to research on land use and land cover (LULC) by extending the time frame of the analysis beyond the limitations of satellite era data and filling a gap in the literature on land use changes caused by mining activities. The proposed approach is transferable to small and medium-sized areas and supports evidence-based spatial planning, land reclamation, and heritage preservation in post-industrial environments on the basis of actions taken in Strzelin and Mikoszów.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-15881-1.

Spatial analysis of land use and cover changes: Implications of green legacy initiative on climate action in Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia

An analysis of land cover changes (LCCs) was done in Image Forest Reserve (IFR) from August to October 2019. Free satellite images for 1990, 2004, and 2018 were downloaded from Landsat 5 (TM) and Landsat 8 (OLI) available through the USGS portal. Ground surveys were conducted using systematically set plots of 20 m × 40 m to identify the existing land cover types and human illegal activities. Geographical coordinates for each of these plots were recorded using handheld GPS. We witnessed the changes of land cover types in the three decades. Forest had contracted, while shrubland and grassland and woodland had expanded within IFR. Between 1990 and 2004, woodland, bareland and rocky outcrops, shrubland, and grassland had consistently decreased though at a different rate of change, while forest has increased between the same assessment periods. The period of 2004–2018 has shown a consistent increase at different rates in woodland, bareland and rocky outcrops, shrubland, and grassland at a different rate of change, while forest has decreased between the same assessment periods. Further study is needed, bylaws and laws should be implemented, participatory forest management should be encouraged, beekeeping and ecotourism should be introduced, provision of regular education to the community by the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) should be encouraged, and awareness creation should be made.

Understandings of contemporary forest cover loss are critical for policy but have come at the expense of long-term, multidirectional analyses of land cover change. This is a critical gap given (i) profound reconfigurations in land use and land control over the past several decades and (ii) evidence of widespread 'woodland resurgence' throughout the tropics. In this study, we argue that recent advancements within the field of land change science provide new opportunities to address this gap. In turn, we suggest that multidecadal and multidirectional analyses of land cover change can facilitate richer social analyses of land cover change and more relevant conservation policies and practice. Our argument is grounded in a case study from Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using a novel analytical platform, Google Earth Engine, and open access to high-quality Landsat data, we map land cover change in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, from 1972 to 2014. We find that tree cover loss constitutes the single largest net change over the period 1972-2014 but that gross rates of tree cover gain were three times higher than gross loss rates from 1972 to 1995 and equivalent to loss rates from 1995 to 2014. We suggest the smallholder tree crop economy likely produced both forest loss and Imperata grassland restoration in this region. This case points to the need to expand rather than collapse the baselines used to study carbon and biodiversity change in tropical regions. It also demonstrates the possible utility of applying such methods to other regions.

Abstract. Sunarto, Aipassa MI, Rujehan, Suhardiman A, Kristiningrum R, Ruslim Y, Sari WI. 2023. Analysis of land cover change due to mining and its potential economic loss: A case study in the Bukit Soeharto Forest Park, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 1206-1214. The Bukit Soeharto Forest Park in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, was once a conservation area but experienced annual land cover changes due to natural causes and human activities such as land clearing and mining. These changes can have economic, social, and environmental impacts. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze changes in land cover and potential economic losses from forest degradation due to mining in Bukit Soeharto research and Education Forest (BSREF) of Mulawarman University. It was conducted from April to October 2022, and the land cover analysis was performed using a series of maps from 2016 to 2022, which were classified based on an overlay technique with the aid of a GIS computer program. The economic valuation of environmental damage was calculated using guidelines from the Regulation of the Minister of Environment No. 7/2014, with a modified method based on the full cost principle. The results showed that the BSREF land, which covers 20,271 ha, experienced changes in the function of the area, with 702.86 ha being converted, resulting in a total economic valuation of environmental damage of approximately 29.6 trillion rupiah due to mining. Therefore, firm action from the local government is necessary to half further conversion and ensure the proper functioning of BSREF as a conservation area.

Background. The analysis of trends in land cover changes will allow to detect trends in land cover changes, which will contribute to the understanding of the reasons for changes in natural ecosystems and the development of strategies for their preservation and restoration. The analysis of land cover changes can be useful for assessing the impact of anthropogenic and natural factors on land using, which is important for making decisions about the rational using of natural resources, especially in the post-war period. The purpose of the research is to allow to detect the trends of land cover changes in Kharkiv region as a result of hostilities, using the satellite materials and statistical data from open sources. Methods. For the research, materials from remote sensing of the Earth were utilized, including methods of their processing and visualization. M a t h e m a t i c a l and statistical methods were applied to process statistical information and obtain index images resulting from the processing of satellite images and the generation of thematic raster data. The article conducts an analysis of the main trends in land cover changes in the Kharkiv region, highlighting trends for the most significantly altered land cover types, specifically forests and agricultural lands, for the period 2015-2022. Results. A general trend since 2015 has been the reduction of forested areas and agricultural lands, with a significant decrease in 2022, as a result of military actions and their consequences. Land cover degradation due to military activities is currently a prominent trend, representing the primary tendency in land cover changes. As a result of military actions in the Kharkiv region, all natural resources have suffered: lands from pollution and contamination with various types of waste, atmospheric air from emissions due to explosions and fires, water bodies, forest resources, and fauna from enemy equipment, pollution, and deliberate destruction. Conclusions. For a more detailed study of land cover changes related to military activities, especially regarding the destruction of the humus layer, soil pollution with metal fragments and explosive residues, field research and the use of high-resolution aerial or satellite imagery are necessary.