Use of Geospatial Technologies in Assessment of Land Use Land Cover Changes for Land Use Planning, a Case Study of Meru County

Abstract

Land use Land Cover change is a major phenomenon today across the globe. In Kenya, there have been tremendous changes in land use land cover over the years due to human activities. These include the need for land for settlement, agriculture, charcoal burning, and illegal logging among others. Population in Meru has increased tremendously over the years; this has led to the conversion of lands from their original use to other uses. These changes have further led to unplanned growth and strain on natural resources as well as changes in the natural landscape. Remote sensing is a technology that is useful in assessing changes in land use and land cover trends over large tracts of land over time using satellite imagery. This study therefore assessed these changes in land use and land cover using Remote sensing and Geographic information systems. The objectives included identifying the prominent land cover classes in the county, collecting suitable data, mapping out the land use land cover changes, and lastly identifying the causes of these changes. Using satellite images, land cover changes were mapped out for these classes for the years 1995, 2002, 2009, 2016, and 2023. A collection of Ground truth coordinates was used to validate the changes. Causes of land use land cover changes were identified using a literature review and a ground-truthing exercise. The tools used were the ArcGIS software and a GPS-enabled phone. The results of this study were Land use Land cover maps and how they changed over time in the Meru County landscape. The maps displayed the six major land use land cover maps in the county which include; Forest, Cropland, Woody Grassland, Grassland, and Bare land. The causes of the changes were also highlighted. Cropland emerged as the land cover that appreciated at a high rate. Forest cover decreased from 1995 to 2009 but increased onwards to 2023. These will consequently inform the County Government in the future in respect of sustainable land use planning. The research depicted that remotely sensed data is very effective in monitoring land use land cover changes, thus saving time and costs. The change detection was able to identify the specific areas where rapid change occurred and thus could inform the county government administration on sustainable planning.