Land Use/Land cover change detection in Doon valley (Dehradun Tehsil), Uttarakhand: using GIS& Remote Sensing Technique

Land use and land cover is an important component in understanding the interactions of the human activities with the environment and thus it is necessary to be able to simulate changes. The study has been done through remote sensing approach using SOI map of Dehradun Valley. The aims of this study are to detect land use changes between 2000 to 2009 using satellite images of Landsat (ETM + , TM, MSS), LISS­III, SRTM and digital SOI topographic maps have been used. The aim of this study is to produce a land use/ land cover map of Dehradun valley at two epochs in order to detect the changes that have taken place particularly in the built­up land and forest areas. Landuse changes have been detected by image processing method in EDRAS imagine9.3, ArcGIS9.3. Finally to predict the changes in urban habitants and landuse/landcover changes occurred. Monitoring of landuse/landcover changes which would help to plan development activities such as major schemes and their land requirements. The nine year time period of 2000 ­2009 shows the major type of land use change. Forest area is decreased 3.75 % and water (seasonal) decreased 9.5%. Most remarkable change has taken place in Built up area resulting in 112.4% growth in less than a decade period.