Enhancing urban green infrastructure through ecosystem services potential Index (ESPI) integration for scenario-based land trend Index assessment in Kuala Lumpur: a satellite analysis

Introduction The rapid development of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has brought about significant changes in the city’s urban landscape. Despite efforts to promote sustainability and green infrastructure, the importance of urban environmental resources and their impact on the well-being of city residents has been largely overlooked.Objective Using long-term satellite observations, this study aims to demonstrate the importance of prioritizing urbanization’s impact on Kuala Lumpur’s environmental values and green infrastructure while assessing how land cover changes have influenced ecosystem services.Materials and Method In this study, satellite data analysis methods were used to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Ecosystem Services Potential Index (ESPI) for Kuala Lumpur. The NDVI and ESPI values were computed for each month from 2000 to 2018 using MODIS data. ESPI, derived from NDVI, was utilized to assess the stability and productivity of the city’s ecology.Findings NDVI classification revealed positive (strong: 0.3434, medium: 0.0645, light: 0.0613), stable (0.0086), and negative (light: −0.024, medium: −0.1661, strong: −0.2966) changes, indicating that urbanization degrades Kuala Lumpur’s ecosystem. Five scenario-based Land Trend Index maps pinpointed the highly urbanized eastern area as the most vulnerable to environmental degradation.Conclusion The ESPI evaluates ecosystem services for human well-being in Kuala Lumpur. Valuing green spaces is vital for sustainable urban planning, as low NDVI and ESPI values flag environmental loss and instability. Integrating satellite data analysis into policymaking guides informed development toward a sustainable city.