Land Use/Land Cover Change Detection and Its Impacts on Carbon Sequestration in the Western Nile Delta, Egypt Using Landsat Data

Abstract

Remote sensing is crucial for producing accurate land use and land cover (LULC) maps. It provides continuous historical data, vital for sustainable development programs, where LULC is a crucial input criterion. Furthermore, natural carbon sinks like agriculture help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, the primary objectives of this study are: 1) to monitor the LULC changes in the western Nile Delta, Egypt, spanning the period from 1985 to 2021; and 2) to quantify soil carbon sequestration (SCS) within the study area. In order to achieve these objectives, a supervised classification method was utilized, making use of eight Landsat satellite photos from the years 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2021. This approach aimed to detect patterns of LULC changes. Four distinct LULC categories were identified in the study area, namely agriculture, urban, bare land, and water. The findings unveiled a predominant transformation from bare land to agriculture, with approximately 3.8%, 5.4%, 6.4%, 13.4%, 23.6%, 24.3%, and 42.19% of bare land transitioning to agriculture during the periods of 1985-1990, 1990-1995, 1995-2000, 2000-2005, 2005-2010, 2010-2015, and 2015-2021, respectively. Furthermore, the analysis of SCS data indicated that soil carbon sequestration predominantly ranged from 440 to 2125 g/m², thereby highlighting the potential of the study area in terms of carbon storage. In conclusion, the analytical approach works efficiently for carbon sequestration evaluation. The study should be used to make land use decisions for carbon sequestration management.