This study was undertaken to evaluate the spatial as well as the temporal changes in land use/ land cover in Devikulam Taluk, Idukki District, Kerala, and to assess the effects of increasing anthropogenic pressure on the fragile ecosystem of this area. For analysis, land use/ land cover maps of four different years, i.e., 1988, 1999, 2008 and 2017, were generated using LANDSAT TM (Thematic Mapper), ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus) and OLI/TIRS (Operational Land Imager/Thermal InfraRed Sensor) satellite imagery. The results of the study suggested that there has been a drastic increase in the built-up area and a continuous decline in the forest area in Devikulam from 35.31 km 2 built-up in 1988 to 73.92 km 2 in 2017, and 1374.52 km 2 forest in 1988 to 1247.24 km 2 in 2017, respectively. Over this period of approximately 40 years, around 47.85 km 2 area of the forest got converted to built-up. This could be due to the increasing anthropogenic pressure in terms of migration or booming tourism contributing to the increased demand for infrastructures. Therefore, appropriate land use planning is a fundamental step towards the sustainable development of this biogeographically rich and unique area of Devikulam Taluk.
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