Assessment of the impact of urbanisation on agricultural and forest areas in the coastal zone of Mostaganem (western Algeria)

Abstract

Abstract The accelerated and uncontrolled urbanisation in the coastal zone of Mostaganem is exclusively at the expense of agricultural and natural areas and is reflected in the aggravation of their degradation. The study area is a 62-km-long littoral to the west of Mostaganem and includes 11 municipalities. The Corine Land Cover nomenclature was used by exploiting data from Landsat satellite images over a 30-year period. The exploitation of statistics related to agricultural and forestry areas reveals a worrying dynamics. All spaces are under pressure mainly due to urbanisation. The phenomena of urbanization and coastalisation and the development of seaside tourism have increased the pressures on natural heritage to the point of compromising it. The analysis identified seven thematic object classes for the study area. An assessment of the dynamics of urban, forest and agricultural areas is an informative indicator of the sustainability of natural areas in the coastline of Mostaganem. The cultivated areas measured from 42,356 ha in 1985 to 38,301 ha in 2015,forest formations from 8207 ha to 9298 ha and urbanised areas from 2604 ha to 5049 ha. The dramatic land use change stimulated by rapid urbanisation in the study areas has resulted in a fundamental change in the landscape pattern. The thematic maps and the results obtained through different periods show that the predominant agricultural landscape has been gradually converted into urban areas.