Geospatial analysis of land use and land cover change using GIS and remote sensing: Implications for earth systems
Keywords:
Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULC), GIS, Remote Sensing, Earth Systems, Machine LearningAbstract
Land use and land cover (LULC) change is a major driver of environmental transformation, affecting climate regulation, hydrological processes, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Rapid urbanization, agricultural expansion, deforestation, and climate variability have accelerated landscape modifications worldwide, creating significant challenges for sustainable development. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies have become essential tools for monitoring and analysing these changes through satellite-based observations and spatial analysis. This narrative review examines global patterns and drivers of LULC change and highlights recent advances in geospatial technologies, including machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques for land cover mapping and change detection. The review further explores the implications of LULC dynamics for Earth system processes, such as carbon cycling, land surface temperature, water resources, ecosystem resilience, and biodiversity conservation. In addition, widely used geospatial indicators, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), and Land Surface Temperature (LST), are discussed as valuable tools for environmental assessment. The review concludes that integrating GIS, remote sensing, and advanced analytical approaches provides a robust framework for understanding landscape transformations and supporting sustainable land management and environmental governance.
Downloads
References
Akbar, T.A., Q.K. Hassan, S. Ishaq, M. Batool, H.J. Butt, and H. Jabbar. 2019. Investigative spatial distribution and modelling of existing and future urban land changes and its impact on urbanization and economy. Remote Sensing. 11:105.
Allan, A., A. Soltani, M.H. Abdi, and M. Zarei. 2022. Driving forces behind land use and land cover change: A systematic and bibliometric review. Land. 11:1222.
Arroyo-Araujo, M., B. Voelkl, C. Laloux, J. Novak, B. Koopmans, A.-M. Waldron, I. Seiffert, H. Stirling, K. Aulehner, and S.K. Janhunen. 2022. Systematic assessment of the replicability and generalizability of preclinical findings: Impact of protocol harmonization across laboratory sites. PLoS biology. 20:e3001886.
Beylich, A., D.V. Tarrío, D. Li, M. Oliva, and M.M. Marteles. 2024. Climate and Anthropogenic Impacts on Earth Surface Processes in the Anthropocene. Elsevier.
Chatrabhuj, K. Meshram, U. Mishra, and P.J. Omar. 2024. Integration of remote sensing data and GIS technologies in river management system. Discover Geoscience. 2:67.
Cowie, A.L., B.J. Orr, V.M.C. Sanchez, P. Chasek, N.D. Crossman, A. Erlewein, G. Louwagie, M. Maron, G.I. Metternicht, and S. Minelli. 2018. Land in balance: The scientific conceptual framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. Environmental science & policy. 79:25-35.
Dangayach, R., and A.K. Pandey. 2025. Technologies and methods for land use and land cover: A comprehensive review. Remote sensing and GIS application in forest conservation planning:369-390.
Dickinson, E.R. 2018. The world in the long twentieth century: an interpretive history. Univ of California Press.
Fagua, J.C., and R.D. Ramsey. 2019. Geospatial modeling of land cover change in the Chocó-Darien global ecoregion of South America; One of most biodiverse and rainy areas in the world. PloS one. 14:e0211324.
Fu, P., and Q. Weng. 2016. A time series analysis of urbanization induced land use and land cover change and its impact on land surface temperature with Landsat imagery. Remote sensing of Environment. 175:205-214.
Gu, Z., and M. Zeng. 2024. The use of artificial intelligence and satellite remote sensing in land cover change detection: Review and perspectives. Sustainability. 16:274.
Güneralp, B., M. Reba, B.U. Hales, E.A. Wentz, and K.C. Seto. 2020. Trends in urban land expansion, density, and land transitions from 1970 to 2010: A global synthesis. Environmental Research Letters. 15:044015.
Gupta, H., S. Kumar, R. Pandey, S. Thapliyal, A. Shaji, and A. Kumar. 2024. An overview of anthropogenic changes in land use and land cover, with specific attention to climate change and unsustainable agriculture. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change. 14:453-460.
Hassan, M., M. Mohsin, I. Vitasović-Kosić, U. Naseer, S.A. Bhat, and S.A. Dar. 2024. The effects of climate change: An overview of the ecological and economic consequences. Journal of Forestry. 148.
Hemati, M., M. Hasanlou, M. Mahdianpari, and F. Mohammadimanesh. 2021. A systematic review of landsat data for change detection applications: 50 years of monitoring the earth. Remote sensing. 13:2869.
Huang, S., S. Wang, Y. Gan, C. Wang, D.E. Horton, C. Li, X. Zhang, D. Niyogi, J. Xia, and N. Chen. 2024. Widespread global exacerbation of extreme drought induced by urbanization. Nature Cities. 1:597-609.
Ishtiaque, A., M. Shrestha, and N. Chhetri. 2017. Rapid urban growth in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: Monitoring land use land cover dynamics of a himalayan city with landsat imageries. Environments. 4:72.
Kan, S., S.A. Levy, E. Mazur, L. Samberg, U.M. Persson, L. Sloat, A.L.R. Segovia, L. Parente, and T. Kastner. 2026. Overlooked and overexploited: Extensive conversion of grasslands and wetlands driven by global food, feed, and bioenergy demand. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 123:e2521183123.
Kan, S., J. Meng, U.M. Persson, B. Chen, S.A. Levy, E. Mazur, L. Samberg, G. Chen, H. Zheng, and T. Kastner. 2025. Identifying global hotspots of agricultural expansion into non-forest ecosystems. Nature Communications. 16:10739.
Kanianska, R. 2016. Agriculture and its impact on land-use, environment, and ecosystem services. Landscape ecology-The influences of land use and anthropogenic impacts of landscape creation:1-26.
Lei, K., H. Zhang, H. Qiu, Y. Liu, J. Wang, X. Hu, Z. Cui, and D. Zheng. 2024. A two-dimensional four-quadrant assessment method to explore the spatiotemporal coupling and coordination relationship of human activities and ecological environment. Journal of Environmental Management. 370:122362.
Macarringue, L.S., É.L. Bolfe, and P.R.M. Pereira. 2022. Developments in land use and land cover classification techniques in remote sensing: A review. Journal of Geographic Information System. 14:1-28.
Mashala, M.J., T. Dube, B.T. Mudereri, K.K. Ayisi, and M.R. Ramudzuli. 2023. A systematic review on advancements in remote sensing for assessing and monitoring land use and land cover changes impacts on surface water resources in semi-arid tropical environments. Remote Sensing. 15:3926.
Milu, M.K.H., N.T. Safa, S. Mobaswira, J.A. Tarun, M. Islam, I. Jahan, M. Ashiquzzaman, M.A. Rahman, M.F. Rahman, and H.M. Abdullah. 2025. Revolutionizing Environmental Monitoring with Cutting-Edge Imaging Technologies. In Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring. Springer. 67-94.
Mir, Y.H., S. Mir, M.A. Ganie, J.A. Bhat, A.M. Shah, M. Mushtaq, and I. Irshad. 2025. Overview of land use and land cover change and its impacts on natural resources. In Ecologically mediated development: Promoting biodiversity conservation and food security. Springer. 101-130.
Pandey, P.C., N. Koutsias, G.P. Petropoulos, P.K. Srivastava, and E. Ben Dor. 2021. Land use/land cover in view of earth observation: Data sources, input dimensions, and classifiers—A review of the state of the art. Geocarto International. 36:957-988.
Potapov, P., S. Turubanova, M.C. Hansen, A. Tyukavina, V. Zalles, A. Khan, X.-P. Song, A. Pickens, Q. Shen, and J. Cortez. 2022. Global maps of cropland extent and change show accelerated cropland expansion in the twenty-first century. Nature Food. 3:19-28.
Radwan, T.M., G.A. Blackburn, J.D. Whyatt, and P.M. Atkinson. 2021. Global land cover trajectories and transitions. Scientific Reports. 11:12814.
Ren, H., L. Gao, D. Hui, and Q. Guo. 2024. Converting farmlands to forests or forests to farmlands? Biological Diversity. 28:9.
Rimal, B., S. Rijal, and A. Tiwary. 2025. Prediction of Urban Growth and Sustainability Challenges Based on LULC Change: Case Study of Two Himalayan Metropolitan Cities. Land. 14:1675.
Roy, P.S., R.M. Ramachandran, O. Paul, P.K. Thakur, S. Ravan, M.D. Behera, C. Sarangi, and V.P. Kanawade. 2022. Anthropogenic land use and land cover changes—A review on its environmental consequences and climate change. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing. 50:1615-1640.
Saleem, H., R. Ahmed, S. Mushtaq, S. Saleem, and M. Rajesh. 2025. Remote sensing-based analysis of land use, land cover, and land surface temperature changes in Jammu District, India. International Journal of River Basin Management. 23:439-454.
Steffen, W., K. Richardson, J. Rockström, H.J. Schellnhuber, O.P. Dube, S. Dutreuil, T.M. Lenton, and J. Lubchenco. 2020. The emergence and evolution of Earth System Science. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. 1:54-63.
Tahir, Z., M. Haseeb, S.A. Mahmood, S. Batool, M. Abdullah-Al-Wadud, S. Ullah, and A. Tariq. 2025. Predicting land use and land cover changes for sustainable land management using CA-Markov modelling and GIS techniques. Scientific Reports. 15:3271.
Tasya, A. 2025. The Impact of Deforestation on Wildlife and Forest Ecosystems. Journal of Horizon. 2:25-33.
Tsatsaris, A., K. Kalogeropoulos, N. Stathopoulos, P. Louka, K. Tsanakas, D.E. Tsesmelis, V. Krassanakis, G.P. Petropoulos, V. Pappas, and C. Chalkias. 2021. Geoinformation technologies in support of environmental hazards monitoring under climate change: An extensive review. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 10:94.
Zhao, Q., and L. Yu. 2025. Advancing sustainable development goals through earth observation satellite data: Current insights and future directions. Journal of Remote Sensing. 5:0403.
Downloads
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Tasaeen, Muhammad Yasrab (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
