Impact of Urbanisation on Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Bidar District, Karnataka: A 30 Year Analysis (1994–2024)

Abstract

This paper focuses on the effects of urbanisation on LULC change dynamics in Bidar District, Karnataka, over a period of 30 years (1994-2024), using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images. Landsat 5 satellite images and Landsat 8 OLI images underwent radiometric and geometric correction techniques, and classification was carried out using Maximum Likelihood supervised classification and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The accuracy of classification was assessed by using a Confusion Matrix and Kappa coefficient. Post-classification comparison of maps was adopted to measure temporal LULC change. Results indicate a significant increase in built-up land use by approximately 400 per cent (from 175 km² in 1994 to 871 km² in 2024), along with substantial decreases in forestland of about 61 per cent (from 948 km² to 369 km²). Agricultural and water bodies, on the other hand, experienced an initial reduction followed by a stabilisation phase in recent years. Agricultural lands show a fluctuating pattern, with minimum expansion in 2014 at a low of 219 km2. Supplemental analysis using NDVI and LST also highlights a progressive reduction in vegetation strength and an enhanced urban heat island, respectively, due to urban expansion. Serious land use/cover transformations imposed grave environmental and socio-economic implications on Bidar, characterised by loss of biodiversity, changes in hydrological patterns, rising thermal stress, and burgeoning infrastructure and livelihood demands. This scientific investigation, thus, emphasises a holistic approach to sustainable land use management and urban expansion in the arid regions of Bidar, Karnataka.