Land Use/Land Cover Assessment of Tamil Nadu Coast, India using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Abstract

Land use/land cover (LULC) mapping and monitoring has a significant role for regional planning, environmental and resource management towards sustainable management. The present study has been carried out for assessment of land use/land cover change in coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during last three decades. The study illustrated an integrated approach of remote sensing and GIS techniques to assess dynamic land use/cover in the coastal zone and estimate change rate using mean value theorem (MVT). Landsat satellite images of last three decades have been used to extract land use/land cover information. The satellite images are classified into twenty classes using a Multi-Disciplinary Approach (MDA) in GIS environment. The study shows the growing pattern of built-up land including urban and rural settlement during 1991–2014. The highest urban sprawl has observed about 4.31% (2014) in northern part of the study area. Agricultural/crop, plantation and scrub/grass land covers half of the study area. The study indicates that agricultural area has increased by 9.1% during 1991–2014 across the study area whereas the major increment of the agricultural land observed in Triunenvel and Kanyakumari districts, southern zone of the study area due to integrated watershed and irrigation management practices. The study shows a positive change rate and growing pattern of saltpan and fish pond along the Tamil Nadu coast, which is a significant impact of socio-economy. The study indicates towards land alteration/transformation, which may caused by demographic pressure and natural threats. The study also indicates the use of geospatial technology along with satellite image for land use/cover mapping and monitoring as well as management and sustainable development planning.

Keywords: LULC, MDA, remote sensing, GIS, change rate, MVT