Impact of Population Growth and Accessibility on Land Use Land Cover Dynamics of Ayubia National Park, Pakistan (2008 and 2018)

Abstract

In the current study, the effects of accessibility and population increase on LULC modifications in Ayubia National Park, Abbottabad between 2008 and 2018 are being evaluated. Using Arc GIS 10.2 supervised classification algorithm, the SAS imagery from 2008 and 2018 (5m resolution) were classified into vegetation, barren land, and built-up area. By establishing buffers of 0–500 and 501–1000-m around significant roads and villages and extracting the LULC within these buffers, the effects of accessibility and population expansion were examined. For each class, the rate of variation is also determined. The suggested methodology worked well for mapping and assessing the rate and magnitude of changes in LULC at various distances from roadways and settlements.  The analysis reveals that in ten years, the built environment has expanded while the barren land and vegetation cover shrank. In comparison to 501-1000-m, the LULC change within 0-500-m near significant roadways and settlements is rapid. The main factors influencing LULC changes include increases in the number of homes brought on by population expansion, tourism, and improved accessibility. According to the study's findings, it is crucial to continuously monitor LULC changes in order to comprehend the trends and patterns and also to provide evidence-based support for land management policies and practices that promote sustainable utilization of natural resources.