Land Use Change Monitoring and Modelling using GIS and Remote Sensing Data for Watershed Scale in Thailand

Abstract

Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) images obtained in 1991, 2005 and 2014 with maps, and field survey data were used to classify land use and land cover (LULC) changes over 23 years and predict soil erosion risk locations in the Khlong Kui watershed (73,700 ha), Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand. Classified images together with soil features, slope and rainfall data were used to identify potential risk areas of soil erosion. Based on field check data, the overall classification accuracy was accessed from random samples that resulted as 80% for 1991, 83% for 2005 and 86% for 2014. The study discovered that rice field and rangeland increased by 1.12 and 2.81%, respectively, deciduous forest, and on the other hand, it decreased by 8.28%. GIS analysis identified the potential risk areas of soil erosion as 46,431 ha (0.63%) at very high risk.