Spatio-temporal assessment of land use efficiency and urban expansion in Assam (2000–2025) using SDG 11.3.1 frameworks

This study provides a spatio-temporal analysis of urbanization and land-use efficiency in Assam, India (2000–2025) using Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) datasets. Evaluating SDG 11.3.1, we integrated the Land Consumption to Population Growth Rate (LCRPGR) with supplementary metrics: Achieved Population Density in Expansion Areas (AAPDEA) and Marginal Land Consumption per New Inhabitant (MLCNI). Findings reveal severe spatial heterogeneity and rising land-use inefficiency. Built-up areas expanded significantly – Kamrup Rural grew from 55.44 to 81.53 km2 —while population growth decelerated. Consequently, peripheral districts experienced uncoordinated sprawl. Goalpara’s LCRPGR spiked from an efficient 0.76 (2000–2005) to a highly inefficient 5.37 (2020–2025). This sprawl is evidenced by precipitous density drops; Barpeta’s AAPDEA plummeted from 78,650 to 12,170 persons/km2, and Goalpara’s MLCNI reached an alarming 191 m2 per new resident. Conversely, the urban core, Kamrup Metropolitan, functioned efficiently, maintaining LCRPGR below 0.5 and consuming only 9 m2 of new land per added resident. These statistical disparities highlight a critical divergence between compact core development and fragmented peri-urban sprawl. To meet SDG 11.3 targets, this study emphasizes the urgent need for context-specific interventions, such as strict peri-urban growth boundaries, to halt inefficient land consumption