Land Degradation Vulnerability Assessment in a Semi-arid Ecosystem in India Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study of Nashik, Maharashtra
摘要
This chapter aims to identify zones prone to different degrees of land degradation in Nashik. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been implemented to map vulnerable zones. Thematic layers containing information on vegetation health, climate, land surface temperature, landscape condition and features, topography, and soil characteristics like texture, depth, erosion, and organic carbon were considered as the criteria parameters in the AHP. A weighted overlay analysis was performed to classify the vulnerable zones into five categories ranging from very low to very highly vulnerable zones. The NDVI was assigned with the highest influence (30%), followed by rainfall (19%), land surface temperature (17%), soil erosion (11%), slope (9%), land use land cover (6%), organic carbon (3%), soil texture (3%), soil depth (2%). About 1.76% and 42.44% of areas were found to be very highly and highly vulnerable to land degradation. Moderate vulnerability was observed in 27.68% of the area, and about 28.13% of the area was susceptible to low to very low land degradation. The sensitivity analysis with a slight modification in the weights revealed no significant changes in the outcomes. Additionally, an accuracy assessment using high-resolution Google Earth imagery showed an 86% accuracy of the results.