Examining the effect of urbanization on various land cover classes and environmental quality using remote sensing and GIS methods

Abstract

It is vital for public awareness and decision-makers to investigate the impact caused by changes in urban land use and land cover on ecosystem service values (ESVs) in order to promote sustainable urban development, protect the environment, protect public health, and ensure communities’ long-term well-being. Changes in ecosystem services brought on by changes in land use and cover (LULC) are a crucial early indicator and warning sign of ecological shifts. Using remote sensing and GIS tools, this study examined the shifting dynamics of ESVs in the Haridwar district in Uttarakhand state, India. The evaluation of land use land cover (LULC) changes was carried out by analyzing satellite images of the research region from 2001 to 2021. In addition, we examined changes in ecosystem services according to the study area’s LULC classifications. Using a random forest machine learning classifier, satellite images were classified into five categories of land cover: water bodies, forests, built-up areas, agricultural land, and bare land. The findings showed that from 2001 to 2021, forest cover and water bodies fell by 15.35% and 41.50%, respectively, while urban area and agricultural area rose by 69.24% and 12.31%, respectively. Due to increased urbanization and degradation of water bodies and forest areas, ESV fell from 103.19 USD ha −1 year −1 in 2001 to 70.53 USD ha −1 year −1 in 2021. The combination of LULC with the value of ecosystem services may improve our knowledge of several difficulties in an urban ecosystem. As a result, we advocate for the incorporation of LULC and ESVs as a tool that might be useful to urban planners and land managers in the future for sustainable development of natural resources.