Monitoring and evaluating the attributes of retreated cultivated land under urban encroachment in South Giza Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

Land cover (LC) changes must be detected and monitored utilizing historical multi-temporal remote sensing data to provide an effective and reliable evaluation of human-induced environmental changes. It is highly suggested for LC studies involve the evaluation of the long-term viability of changing regions. Egypt's agriculture sector is one of the country's most important economic pillars. The study area was situated in South Giza Governorate covering 11356.17 hectares (27027.68 feddans). The primary objective of this article was to identify, monitor, and quantify historical LC changes in the study area using multi-temporal Landsat imageries for two different dates acquired from 1986 to 2021. The temporal and historical alterations that occurred were recognized with excellent accuracy (93%) utilizing unsupervised classification approache. In the year 1986, the cultivated area covering 8989.99 hectares (ha) decreased to 6912.33 ha in 2021 losing 2077.66 ha. Buildings increased from 846.10 ha in 1986 to 2747.10 ha in 2021 with a difference of 1928.0 ha. Archaeological site (Memphis) covered 113.90 ha and 113.80 ha in 1986 and 2021 respectively. The main roads and railways increased from 253.57 ha in 1986 to 403.2 ha in 2021 with an extension of 149.63 ha. Physiographic units include River Nile alluvium (levees, point bars, bow bars, and alluvial plain) and windblown sediments in the aeolian plain. The results concluded that the study area is a valued site of unique physiographic units as the most highly suitable land for most of LUTs.