Assessing Urban Expansion and Land Use Transformation in Dehradun Using Geospatial Techniques

The spatial distribution of landuse pattern have undergone tremendous changes due to rapid urbanisation, which has become an identifiable aspect of development in modern times, particularly in environmentally sensitive regions. However, this research aims to investigate the changes in time and space in terms of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) and urbanisation in Dehradun Planning Area between 2001 and 2026, focusing on understanding the extent and direction of the changes. The analysis was based on multi-temporal satellite images having a spatial resolution of 30 m, which were retrieved from Landsat missions in 2001, 2010, 2018, and 2026. In the accuracy assessment process, error matrices and kappa statistics have been used to ensure the reliability of the classification results. The findings depict a drastic shift in the surroundings, where built-up areas expand rapidly along with the reduction in cropland and vegetation. Cropland and vegetation decreased by 14.03% and 7.38%, respectively, from 2018 to 2026. While the settlement area (built-up) increased by 17.88%, becoming the dominant land cover with a value of 53.07%. There was a noticeable increase in barren and transitional land, while water bodies remained almost constant. The above changes reflect an unsustainable development trend of urban sprawl driven by infrastructure and population growth. To guarantee the sustainability of regional development and ecological balance, it is concluded that Dehradun is at a crucial stage of urban transition, which needs urgent action in land use management, green space conservation, and sustainable urban development.