A STUDY ON DETERMINING LAND USE/LAND COVER CHANGES IN DHAKA OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS AND OBSERVING THE IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH ON LAND USE/LAND COVER USING REMOTE SENSING

Abstract

Land use is an important factor in understanding how human activities change the environment. Changes need to be monitored and identified in order to maintain a sustainable and conducive environment in any city. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is one of the most densely populated megacities in the world with an area of ​​306.4 km2. This study has highlighted how land use has changed as a result of rapid urbanization in Dhaka city in the last 20 years and the relationship of population with these land uses. Land use has been reviewed during the previous 20 years by creating a map of LULC using various GIS and remote sensing techniques using Landsat 5 ETM + images from 2001 and 2011 and Landsat 8 OLI images from 2021.The change in land use has been classified into four categories for the purposes of this study: built-up area, vegetation, water body, and bare soil. After analysis an accuracy assessment has been done in this study to keep LULC's classified maps accurate and transparent. In the time period from 2001 to 2021, the amount of build-up area and bare land in Dhaka city has increased by 27% and 2% respectively. On the other hand, the amount of vegetation has decreased by 29%, the amount of water body is constant. Although the area of ​​Dhaka city did not increase at the same time, the population increased by about 11.04 million. The findings of the study reveal and present a clear illustration of Dhaka's urban growth during the previous 20 years.