Change Recognition in Land-Cover Dynamics for Bangalore City due to Rampant Urbanization, using Quantum G.I.S.

Abstract

The present research engages Quantum G.I.S. as a tool in order to reflect on land-cover pattern changes of Bangalore region for the past 15 years, with the aid of satellite imageries that were downloaded and pre-processed as a part of the exercise. Training sets were marked that included different land-use patterns in the imagery and then the images were subsequently classified leading to the determination of area. The research unveiled that water-cover was worst affected with 69% loss, followed by green-cover at 5.2% loss. While there was meagre shift in loss of barren land, all these had subsequently contributed to a multi-fold rise in built-up spaces by 125% gain. The study inferred that the rampant urbanisation of Bangalore in the name of development has to be brought to a standstill and alternate plans needs to be devised with minimal environmental disturbance in terms of land-use pattern, and this can be achieved only if a tool such as Quantum G.I.S. is incepted in the planning stages itself.