Environmental implications of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land use Land Cover of East Godavari District

With the fleeting and profound transformations currently occurring in this planet, one of the crucial issues to be contemplated is the availability and limitations of resources in meeting the human demands. Land use and Land cover (LULC) change is a multiplex occurrence which is affected by various social, economic, and environmental factors. The framework of this study approaches the exploration of the diverse dynamics of land use and land cover change in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh for two decades, i.e. 2004-2024. Utilizing multi spectral and multi temporal satellite imagery, image pre-processing and supervised classification of LULC change in the East Godavari region have been carried out. The classification consists of six LULC classes: build-up area, agricultural land, water bodies, forest, barren land and sand. An accuracy assessment for the classification has been performed. The result of this study demonstrates the increase and decrease in build-up areas, agricultural land, water bodies, forest and barren land for the years 2004, 2014 and 2024.Changes in build-up area for the major cities of East Godavari, i.e. Kakinada, Rajahmundry, and Amalapuram have been demonstrated. An increase in built-up area leads to the development of urban heat islands, an increase in surface runoff, and flash floods. A decrease in greenery and forest cover reduces the ecological balance and impacts biodiversity. Land cover and land use change impart information on anthropogenic, climatic, and environmental conditions, which is crucial for sustainable land management and helps us make strategic decisions for the betterment of this planet.