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Land use and land cover change analysis using geospatial techniques a case study of the Dayet Aoua Watershed, Middle Atlas, Morocco

Author

Listed:
  • El Idrissi Mohammed Chrif

    (Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Department of Geography, BP 11202 Zitoune Meknès, Morocco)

  • Saber Er-Riyahi

    (Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Department of Geography, BP 11202 Zitoune Meknès, Morocco)

  • Al Mashoudi Ayoub

    (University of Abdelmalek Asaadi, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Tetouan, Morocco)

Abstract

The Imouzzer Kandar plateau, located in the Middle Atlas of Morocco, has experienced significant land use changes over the past decades, characterized by the expansion of agricultural lands and the regression of forests and wetlands. This study aimed to detect these changes and assess their impact on the wetlands of the Imouzzer Kandar plateau. To achieve this, three Landsat satellite images from 1984, 1998, and 2018 were analyzed using the diachronic method, employing a supervised classification with the Nearest Neighbour Classifier within a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. The classification accuracy for the three dates reached 92%, providing reliable and actionable insights. Over the 34-year period, approximately 44% of the study area, equivalent to 32,097 hectares, underwent land use changes. The confusion matrix revealed a substantial increase in agricultural and rangeland areas, coupled with a decrease in forest cover and lake area within the Dayet Aoua watershed. Most wetlands, approximately 152.37 hectares, have been converted into rangeland. The analysis further highlighted the irreversible expansion of agricultural land at the expense of areas of wetlands, with 33.34% of this expansion, about 88.20 hectares, being replaced by water-intensive agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • El Idrissi Mohammed Chrif & Saber Er-Riyahi & Al Mashoudi Ayoub, 2024. "Land use and land cover change analysis using geospatial techniques a case study of the Dayet Aoua Watershed, Middle Atlas, Morocco," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 12(4), pages 45-56.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:enviro:v:12:y:2024:i:4:p:45-56:n:1004
    DOI: 10.2478/environ-2024-0024
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ahmed Karmaoui & Adil Moumane & Samir El Jaafari & Aziza Menouni & Jamal Al Karkouri & Mohammed Yacoubi & Lhoussain Hajji, 2023. "Thirty Years of Change in the Land Use and Land Cover of the Ziz Oases (Pre-Sahara of Morocco) Combining Remote Sensing, GIS, and Field Observations," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-25, December.
    2. Delgado-Artés, Rafael & Garófano-Gómez, Virginia & Oliver-Villanueva, José-Vicente & Rojas-Briales, Eduardo, 2022. "Land use/cover change analysis in the Mediterranean region: a regional case study of forest evolution in Castelló (Spain) over 50 years," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    3. Abdelkader Bardadi & Zahira Souidi & Marianne Cohen & Mohamed Amara, 2021. "Land Use/Land Cover Changes in the Tlemcen Region (Algeria) and Classification of Fragile Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-24, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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