LAND USE LAND COVER CHANGE IN TWO AGRICULTURALLY IMPORTANT BUT ECOLOGICALLY CONTRASTING ZONES OF THE GAMBIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67303/jcit.v1i1.23Keywords:
LULCC, Agricultural Expansion, Supervised Classification, CRR and URR The Gambia, Environmental DegradationAbstract
This study examines land use land cover change (LULCC) in the Central River Region (CRR) and Upper River Region (URR) of The Gambia from 2002 to 2024 using satellite imagery and supervised classification techniques. The analysis highlights a significant transformation in land cover, with agricultural expansion being the most dominant change. Between 2002 and 2013, croplands increased by 53,698.86 hectares. Settlements also grew significantly, expanding by 12,493.62 hectares. Conversely, natural landscapes such as grasslands and forests experienced severe losses, primarily converted into farmland and settlements. Grassland cover declined by 48,672.36 hectares from 2002 to 2013 and by 43,482.6 hectares. Future projections for 2024-2034 predict a net loss of 37,211.85 hectares of grasslands and a net gain of 32,090.13 hectares in agricultural land in CRR. Similarly, in URR, agriculture is expected to expand by 13,562.91 hectares, while grasslands are projected to shrink by 19,930.95 hectares. These findings highlight the intensification of land use determined by agriculture and rural development, emphasizing the need for sustainable land management practices to mitigate deforestation, habitat loss, and environmental degradation.
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