ASSESSING URBANIZATION-INDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: SPATIAL-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF LAND USE AND LAND COVER DYNAMICS OF DISTRICT HYDERABAD, PAKISTAN

*Behroz Jan Jamaldini; Amjad Danyal; Shah Hussain

Authors

*Behroz Jan Jamaldini
Amjad Danyal
Shah Hussain

Abstract

This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use/land cover in Hyderabad district of Sindh, Pakistan, with an emphasis on the effects of urbanization. Five change detection analyses were carried out biennially over a ten-year period using Landsat satellite imagery ranging from 2008 to 2018 including Landsat 4-5 (TM) data from 2008 to 2011 and Landsat 8 (OLI) data from 2013 to 2018. Furthermore, two land use change matrix studies were undertaken covering five-year intervals from 2008 to 2018, while a trend analysis was conducted annually from 2008 to 2018, encompassing a decade of data. Employing visual interpretation techniques and supervised classification methodologies utilizing the maximum likelihood algorithm in ArcMap (version 10.8) software, the study categorized the study area into five distinct classes: vegetation, water body, barren land, farmland, and urban built-up areas. The analysis revealed notable fluctuations in the landscape of the study area over the study period. In the base year of analysis 2008, the study area exhibited proportions of vegetated land, water bodies, barren land, farmland, and urban built-up areas at 13.95% (14,239 ha), 1.40% (1,427 ha), 17.20% (17,558 ha), 62.63% (63,921 ha) and 4.82% (4,922 ha), respectively. By 2018, significant changes were observed including a decline in the vegetated and barren land by 5.24% (5,350 ha) and 14.75% (15,052 ha), respectively. There was an increase in water bodies, farmland and urban built-up areas by 2.13% (2,179 ha), 63.27% (64,581 ha) and 14.60% (14,907 ha) respectively. This study underscores the importance of employing LU/LC change detection techniques to comprehend the impacts of urbanization and the spatial distribution of changes within the Hyderabad district. Through in-depth analysis, it explains the dynamic nature of land use transitions and the implications for urban development and environmental management policies.

Keywords:

Change Detection, Urbanization, LU/LC, Remote Sensing, GIS.