Effect of urbanization through land coverage classification

Abstract

Land cover changes from rural or natural habitats to impervious surfaces that support various human activities are called urbanization. The evaluation of policy alternatives for future expansion and the promotion of sustainable urban development therefore place great emphasis on the mapping, analysis, and monitoring of land cover changes in metropolitan environments. By assessing changes in relevant environmental indicators at a range of scales, from local to regional, this study seeks to determine the rate of urbanization and analyze its impact on the environment in and around two key cities in Tamilnadu. Chennai and Madurai are the urban areas under investigation. The results are based on classifications of medium to high spatial resolution optical satellite images from 1995 to 2020. Various classification approaches with combinations of spectral, shape, and texture input information were combined to achieve high classification accuracy. Based on the categories, environmental indicators were created and used to calculate the impact of urbanization on the environment. The findings show that each research area experienced varying degrees of urban expansion and environmental impact. Urban areas grew tenfold between 1995 and 2015, according to a study comparing Chennai and Madurai. To evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of urbanization and its environmental impact in various metropolitan regions, this research shows the value of combining urban and environmental indicators with remote sensing data.