Land Cover Change In The Nanga Parbat Region Over Time Using Gis And Remote Sensing

Abstract

Land cover change marks a particular transformation in the environment, which indicates both natural processes and the influence of human activities. In mountainous regions, for example, Nanga Parbat area is one of the western Himalayas, land cover change is mainly defined by specific stacks of features making it easier to get the, or a bird's-eye view of the area. Moreover, the stronger are landslides and erosion processes in mountain rocks. While land cover change over such terrain is extremely important, it is also essential due to fragile ecosystems, steep terrain, and climate sensitivities that lead to natural as well as human-induced shifts there. This study examines land cover shifts in the Nanga Parbat area from 1990 to 2024 using cutting-edge remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) methods. The main aim of the research is to grasp the space and time patterns of land cover change, and to pinpoint the main factors driving these changes such as climate change, tree loss, city growth, and other human actions. The area under review has seen big changes in land cover, with the time between 1994-1998 showing the most upset. The increased disruption in this period stems from many human-caused factors like road building, city expansion, and farm growth. These actions could shake up the natural world leading to ecosystem damage, loss of forests, and shifts in how plants grow. The study showed that changing how we use land, like turning forests into farms or building new structures breaks up animal homes and cuts down on the variety of living things. Climate change melting glaciers, has played a big part in changing the land in this area. As the ice melts, it uncovers ground that was frozen before creating bare spots and affecting the water supply nearby.

Such changes have serious consequences on the local population, whose livelihoods depend on the environment. In addition, this study points to how the tourism sector now exacerbates further vegetation loss and ecological disruptions, heightened in their severity by existing environmental stresses in the region. These results elucidate the necessity for continuous observation and information gathering to better comprehend and aid in mitigating the evolving environmental issues of our sensitive ecosystem (Munroe & Muller, 2007; Shrestha et al., 2012; Bennett & Saunders, 2010; IPCC, 2013). The study concludes by stressing the crucial role of remote sensing, GIS technologies, and interdisciplinary research in solving the complicated problems of land cover change and environmental degradation in high mountain regions, such as Nanga Parbat (Kennedy et al., 2010; Gorelick et al., 2017).