Geospatial analysis of land-use and land-cover changes in the Sikkim Himalaya, and insights for sustainable future

Bharati, Karshita and Jins, V. J. and Rai, Shiwangi and Majumdar, Rudrodip and Nandy, Subrata and Chettri, Basundhara (2026) Geospatial analysis of land-use and land-cover changes in the Sikkim Himalaya, and insights for sustainable future. In: S. Ghosh et al. (Eds.) Geospatial solutions for ecological challenges and sustainability. Springer, Cham, pp. 107-128.

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Abstract: Sikkim has witnessed substantial growth in buildings, industries, roads, hydroelectric projects, and the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses over the past few decades. This has resulted in significant changes in land use and land cover (LULC), with clear implications for ecosystem services and long-term sustainability. Our study analysed LULC changes between 1998 and 2018 in the East and South districts of Sikkim using multispectral Landsat imagery (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS). We applied supervised classification with the Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) and employed post-classification change detection techniques. The findings showed a notable increase in built-up areas (121.53%), forest cover (11.05%), and barren land, while agricultural land decreased by 42.75%. Built-up areas mainly expanded at the expense of agricultural land and vegetation, underscoring the unsustainable trajectory of the ongoing land use patterns. With these findings, we strongly recommend a sustainable planning of future developmental activities by encouraging traditional agricultural and responsible land use practices, while conserving the rich regional biodiversity.
Item Type: Book Chapter
Subjects: School of Natural and Engineering Sciences > Energy
School of Natural and Engineering Sciences > Energy and Environment
Divisions: Schools > Natural Sciences and Engineering
Date Deposited: 26 May 2026 10:08
Last Modified: 26 May 2026 10:17
Official URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-03...
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    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-12737-2_6
    URI: http://eprints.nias.res.in/id/eprint/3387

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