Land use land cover change in the African Great Lakes Region: a spatial-temporal analysis and future predictions.

ABSTRACT: The African Great Lakes Region has experienced substantial land use land cover change (LULCC) over the last decades, driven by a complex interplay of various factors. However, a comprehensive analysis exploring the relationships between LULCC, and its explanatory variables remains unexplored. This study focused on the Lake Kivu catchment in Rwanda, analysing LULCC from 1990 to 2020, identifying major variables, and predicting future LULC scenarios under different development trajectories. Image classification was conducted in Google Earth Engine using random forest classifier, by incorporating seasonal composites Landsat images, spectral indices, and topographic features, to enhance discrimination and capture seasonal variations. The results demonstrated an overall accuracy exceeding 83%.

SUBMITTER: Kayitesi NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11349865 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature