Geospatial Strategy for Assessment of Urban Change Dynamics using LISS III-Sensor

Abstract

The process of urbanization is an uninterrupted global phenomena driven by population growth for livelihood as well as human development. The termurbanization can represent the level of urban relative to overall population, or it can represent the rate at which the urban proportion is increasing. The problem of urban sprawl in developing countries like India is more alarming, where the population is migrating towards cities for urban facilities and exerting heavy pressure on available natural resources. Proper planning and management are required for dealing with the problems of urban sprawl and unsustainable use of natural resources. Now a days, the urban population growth and urban-sprawl induced land use changes coupled with industrial development can be easily monitored using RS and GIS. The analytical tools of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System are now providing advanced techniques for urban population growth management. With the help of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System the spatial and temporal changes in the pattern of urban sprawl and their analysis could be done in efficient and cost effective manner. By comparing the satellite images of different years, the change in the urban area can be easily observed. The present study focuses on the nature and pattern of urban expansion of Ranchi city over its surrounding region during the period from 1996 to 2007. The result of the work shows a rapid growth in built-up from 1996 to 2007. Multi temporal satellite data sets of Ranchi area for 1996, 2004 and 2007 are used to detect land use land cover changes. During the period of 13 years the change in land resources shrinkage and transformation is detected by the use of remote sensing and GIS.