Land use and land cover change and vulnerability analysis Bist Doab Punjab India

Abstract

Land use and land cover change and vulnerability analysis in Bist Doab is the analytical overview of the human interventions and its impact on the surrounding environment. This research theme includes three important components i.e. land use, land cover and vulnerability. The objective was to provide a geographical perspective of patterns of land use and land cover change, drivers and environmental effects. These effects were explained in the context of vulnerability which has manifest in decreased ground water, increased soil erosion and floods in the study area. This study was conducted using Arc GIS and ERDAS Imagine to show present situation and vulnerability models. The study reveals land use and land cover change, initiated after the Green Revolution in Punjab. It led to the increase of certain land uses such as agriculture and built up area at the cost of land cover categories such as sandy areas and barren land. These changes have increased bio-physical vulnerability in Bist Doab. Three types of bio-physical vulnerability have been identified in the study area were Ground Water Vulnerability, Soil Vulnerability and Flood Vulnerability. The research provides direction to further research initiatives to express issues at viable ways to resolve land use and land cover change and vulnerability. newline