Monitoring land use and land cover changes using GIS techniques: case study from Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Around the world, land use (LU) and land cover (LC) changes are taking place rapidly due to various factors such as climate change, increasing population, and urbanization. These changes pose serious threats to environmental conservation. To ensure effective and sustainable future planning, these changes need to be regularly monitored. We utilize GIS techniques to monitor LULC changes between 2016 and 2024. To do GIS analysis, geospatial data is one of the key prerequisites. Findings of the study reveal that built-up area increased significantly by 68%, cultivated area decreased by 8.4%, forest area declined by 2.3%, and water bodies decreased by 2.7%.