NORMALIZED DIFFERENCE VEGETATION INDEX (NDVI) BASED LAND USE LAND COVER CHANGE DETECTION IN PARTS OF NAINITAL DISTRICT, KUMAUN LESSER HIMALAYA, INDIA

This study examines the transformation of surface topography in Nainital district (part of Kumaun Himalaya of Uttarakhand), India, from 1972 to 2022, shedding light on the profound changes that have occurred over this half-century period. In 1972, the land area was primarily dominated by forested areas, agriculture and water bodies, constituting 71.35%, 24.79%, and 1.19% of the total land cover, respectively. However, by 2022, these percentages have dramatically shifted to 60.73%, 6.91% and 0.46%, indicating a significant reduction in forested areas, agriculture and water bodies. In stark contrast, barren lands, settlements and grasslands, which occupied a merely 0.78%, 0.91%, and 0.98% of the land in 1972, have expanded considerably to 2.42%, 1.79% and 28.13% by 2022. These substantial changes are graphically represented, further reinforcing the alarming trend of diminishing forests, dwindling agriculture and reduced water resources, juxtaposed with the ominous rise of barren lands, settlements and extensive grasslands. Notably, the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) analysis unveils a clear downward trajectory in forested areas, agriculture and water bodies, accompanied by a conspicuous increase in barren lands, settlements and grasslands. This trend implies that human encroachment and deforestation have driven the intensification of light vegetation (grasslands) at the expense of dense vegetation (forests), exacerbating environmental concerns within the state. The results of this study highlight the significance of these critical land use changes to mitigate their potentially adverse consequences.