Author(s): Maha M. Jumha, Sabah S. Aljenaid, Maha Mahmood Alsabbagh and Ghadeer M.R. Kadhem
Article publication date: 2018-12-01
Vol. 36 No. 1/2/3/4 (yearly), pp. 43-58.
322
Keywords
Sitra, LULC, GIS, Remote Sensing-data, DPSIR, Reclamation.
Abstract
This study aims to detect and analyze land-use, and land cover (LULC) changes in Sitra Island during the past 50 years, from 1967 to 2018, and to assess changes in class categories of LULC for each year of the study. The data were collected from various sources such as aerial photographs, satellite images, maps, previous studies and reports of government projects in addition to official statistical data of the study period. GIS was used to prepare the required maps to detect changes LULC during the study period and construct two Vector and Raster Data Models. Six class categories of land (built-up, agricultural, barren, wet, reclaimed, and industrial) were identified. The results indicated that the total area of Sitra Island land increased from 8.08 km 2 in 1967 to 15.1 km 2 in 1998, and increased from 16.4 km 2 in 2009 to more than 22.5 km 2 in 2018. As a result, the area of agricultural land, which constituted more than 30.4% of the total island area, decreased from 2.5 km 2 in 1967 to less than 1% (0.2 km 2) in 2018. The area of reclaimed areas for industrial and residential purposes increased to constitute more than 30% of the island area (6.82 km 2) in 2018. The industrial areas surrounding the island expanded to more than 30.6% of its area to reach 6.9 km 2 in 2018.