ABSTRACT
The dynamics of land use/land cover (LULC) are governed by many complex interacting processes and mainly associated with natural and human factors. Monitoring LULC dynamics is necessary because such changes are the driving forces for assessing various ecosystems and environmental processes. This study has employed remote sensing-derived LULC datasets to quantify the spatio-temporal LULC dynamics in the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) from 1985 to 2015, and further, the analysis was coupled with local perceptions on LULC changes. The results showed that urban area increased significantly from 1985 to 2015 (28.6% in Sikkim to 305% in Uttrakhand). An increase in cropland was found from 1985 to 2005 over IHR (6.5% in Himachal Pradesh to 41.2% Arunachal Pradesh), whereas a decline in cropland was evident from 2005 to 2015 in both Western Himalaya (2% to 21.5%) and Eastern Himalaya (12.88% in Sikkim). A marginal loss in forest cover was seen (up to 4.9%) from 1985 to 2005 over IHR because of deforestation, urbanisation, and land degradation, which are attributed to human activity. The loss of forest cover was considerably higher (10.6% in Arunachal Pradesh to 52.3% in Jammu and Kashmir) from 2005 to 2015. People’s perceptions mostly matched these LULC changes, with built-up areas holding the maximum share of votes. However, only 35% of the respondents agreed that the trend in LULC has changed significantly over the past 20 years. The majority were unable to pinpoint the most important driver of LULC changes in their locality, although they acknowledged a few socio-economic and environmental impacts. Our results imply that the ongoing LULC dynamics will lead to unprecedented changes in ecosystems and environmental processes, which need attention from ecologists and policymakers. Effective awareness and outreach programs on sustainable land use are highly recommended.
