<p>Riverine forests in Sudan are unique ecosystems that provide habitats for diverse flora and fauna. Despite this distinctive function, there is lack of information about their composition and its spatio-temporal dynamics. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of land use land cover (LULC) and tree vegetation structure in <i>Acacia nilotica</i> trees, in Remaila Riverine Forest Reserve, over the past 20 years. The study used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST) analysis, and forest inventory data to assess the status and spatio-temporal changes of <i>A. nilotica</i> trees. Findings reveal significant fluctuations in NDVI values, indicating a decline in forest health, particularly marked in 2023. The LULC analysis highlights a drastic reduction of about 50% in dense forest areas between 2003 and 2023, with a corresponding increase in open forest and bare lands. The tree density, basal area, and volume in dense forest sites were three times and double that of open and moderate forests with significant differences across the sites (F_{2, 99} = 172.4 and <i>p</i> = 0.001; F_{2, 99} = 193.6 and <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001; F_{2, 99} = 187.3 and <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001, respectively). These low values of dendrometric parameters in the open and moderate forest sites are attributed to anthropogenic pressures like overharvesting and grazing that were intensively practiced in the study area. This research underscores the urgent need for restoration efforts to rehabilitate the degraded areas and enhance the reserve resilience, with consideration to stakeholder interests and sustainable management.</p>