Urban Sprawl Assessment and Its Effect on Land Use Transformation in Varanasi City using Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine the effect of urbanization on changes in land use in the peri-urban areas of Varanasi city in India. The area of study is divided into six different classes of land use: built-up area, agriculture, vegetation, water bodies, sand and other land use. Using the maximum likelihood technique, Landsat 5 TM satellite data were used to identify land use and land cover changes from 1996 to 2017. The findings indicate a substantial increase in the built-up area, associated with reduced water and other land use cover. The urban sprawl is observed in almost all directions from the city boundaries, and along highways. Shannon’s entropy analysis reveals dispersed distribution of built-up area. The approach based on GIS and remote sensing data, together with statistical analysis, has proved instrumental in the analysis of urban expansion. It also helps to identify priority areas that require adequate planning for sustainable development.