Study of an Impact of Urbanization on Agricultural Land Using RS and GIS

Rapid urbanization has emerged as one of the key factors of land use and land cover (LULC) change, particularly in developing countries. Growing cities tend to transform productive agricultural land into built-up areas to develop residential, industrial, and infrastructural facilities, thus, causing environmental and socio-economic problems. This paper analyses how urbanization is affecting agricultural land using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS). Satellite imagery of different time periods is used to process and analyze to identify spatial and temporal patterns of land cover change with focus on agricultural land conversion. Studies show that areas on the edge of cities, especially those near roads, railways, and city centers, are the most likely to face urban sprawl. Farming lands are being reduced, broken into small pieces, exposed to higher temperatures, and affected by changes in water flow. Such transformations create challenges for food security, disrupt ecological stability, and put pressure on rural livelihoods. The paper emphasizes the use of geospatial methods in the assessment of urban sprawl and the need to incorporate RS- and GIS based evaluations into sustainable urban planning and land management policies.