Mapping Environmental Degradation and Climate Vulnerability using GIS and Remote Sensing

Abstract

Environmental degradation and climate vulnerability pose significant threats to the stability of ecosystems, agriculture, water supply, and humans’ well-being. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing can prove beneficial in detecting spatial patterns of environmental changes, detecting signs of land degradation, and assessing regions’ vulnerability to climate threats. In this study, a geospatial framework is suggested to map environmental degradation and climate vulnerability through satellite imagery analysis, vegetation indexes, land use and land cover classification, land surface temperature, precipitation, terrain properties, and socioeconomic factors. Landsat imagery, Sentinel-2 imagery, digital elevation models, and climate gridded data will be combined in GIS to assess changes in vegetation cover, urbanization, bare lands, land surface temperature, and drought. To do that, NDVI, NDBI, LST, and precipitation anomalies will be used to derive indicators of environmental degradation. Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) will be created using weighted overlay models with environmental exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators. The accuracy of classification will be measured using independent reference data sets, whereas temporal variations will be evaluated via post-classification assessment. As illustrated in the figure below, a conceptual example of the application of the framework is shown by partitioning a study site into different vulnerability zones (low, medium, high, and very high), wherein 35% of the study site has been assigned to high and very high vulnerability zones. The values are purely illustrative and are not obtained from any satellite processing. This framework can contribute to environmental monitoring, climate adaptation strategy, land management, and identification of vulnerable sites.