Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Biosystems Engineering, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
2
Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran, Ahvaz, Iran
3
Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran, Email
Abstract
Land use change is a major challenge in natural resource management and can have significant environmental, economic, social, and cultural consequences. The aim of this Study is to investigate land use changes in Ahvaz County from 2000 to 2020 using remote sensing, in order to provide an overview of land use changes for land management and urban planning. Images were acquired from Landsat satellites, and land classification into four land use types, including agricultural lands, built-up areas, barren lands, and water bodies, was performed for the years 2000, 2007, 2014, and 2020 using spectral indices and the maximum likelihood classification algorithm. The Kappa coefficient for the years 2000, 2007, 2014, and 2020 were 87.23%, 88.59%, 91.26%, and 93.23%, respectively, and the overall accuracy index was 89.56%, 91.35%, 93.58%, and 94.89%, respectively. The results showed that, during the study period, the area of land agriculture and built-up land use increased by 2.77 and 2.96 times, respectively. The increase in agricultural land was mainly due to the conversion of barren lands to agriculture. The increase in built-up areas has led to a decrease in the fertile agricultural lands around cities. The drastic changes in land use in the last two decades indicate the need for careful, scientific, and participatory planning by all agencies involved in land use change and those in charge of affairs, in order to reduce the negative environmental, social, and economic consequences and to preserve the natural resources of the region.
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