Monitoring Land Use and Land Cover Change Through Earth Observation Datasets and Metric Analysis in the Barabanki District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Land use and cover is the key environmental factors influencing the landscape. Changes in their composition are dynamic, widespread, and accelerating, driven primarily by natural phenomena and human activities. Timely and accurate information is a major challenge when assessing any landscape for future development. Remote sensing data, with its synoptic and multi-temporal characteristics, effectively bridges the gap by offering timely, accurate, and reliable information. The present study aimed to evaluate LULC change using Landsat satellite data within the Nindoora and Fatehpur blocks of Barabanki district, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The study area covers approximately 59,498.78 ha. Landsat scenes recorded on November 10, 2013, and October 15, 2023, were acquired from the USGS website and subjected to geometric and radiometric corrections prior to analysis. The on-screen visual interpretation technique was employed to classify the satellite data into various land cover classes. The analysis identified five primary land use and land cover (LULC) classes: Water Bodies, Crops, Trees, Bare Ground, Rangeland, and Built-up Areas. In year 2013 Cropland emerged as the dominant land cover, occupying 88.34% of the total area followed by Built-up areas constitute 8.83% of the land. Whereas in year 2023 cropland occupy approximately 86.47% and Built-up areas constitute 10.70% of the land. This study underscores the complex interplay between agricultural productivity and urban expansion in Barabanki. These insights are essential for guiding future urban and environmental planning efforts in the region, offering a critical foundation for developing strategies that support both economic development and environmental sustainability.