Study on land-use and land-cover change dynamics in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh, N.E. India using remote sensing and GIS.

The current study describes the land use and land cover dynamics in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh from 1985 to 2005 using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS). Landsat-MSS, IRS-LISS-I and LISS-III data for the period 1985, 1995 and 2005 were used to prepare the land use/land cover (LULC) map at 1:250K for different periods. Post-classification change detection technique for quantifying the changes for twelve major land use and land cover types was analyzed. The study signifies that the region experiences expansion in crop land and built-up area and decline in forest area. Crop land and built-up area has increased by 665.41 km² and 16.72 km², respectively, from 1985 to 2005. On the other hand, forest area has declined by 699.37 km² during the period. The study showed that topography and increasing population play an important role in shaping the LULC pattern. The study further revealed the importance of satellite remote sensing and GIS as an effective approach for analyzing the direction, rate and spatial pattern of land use dynamics. It is believed that this type of study will help to contribute towards sustainable land-use planning and management in this part of the North East India in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]