Monitoring Landuse-Landcover Changes in Dhaka City by Integrating Remote Sensing and Ground Based Observations

Abstract

We have employed remote sensing approach in this study to understand the LULC changes in Dhaka urban area for a period of 26 years. We have used Landsat TM, ETM+ and OLI/TIRS image and employed unsupervised classification to prepare LULC maps from 1989 to 2015. To validate the results fieldwork has also been followed. We have found a decrease of water bodies of 967.14 ha and a decrease of vegetated lands of 2641.59 ha. The rate of decrease is 37.20 ha per year and 101.60 ha per year for water bodies and vegetation respectively. At the same time the urban areas have been increased by an area of 4370.67 ha. The rate of increase of urban structures is 168.10 ha per year. Integrating the spatial changes, we have found a correlation between loss of vegetation and water body with increase of urban structures. Our field observation also provides accuracy of our satellite based observation with an overall accuracy of 82.61%.