Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULC) in Gowa Regency Using Multi-Temporal Satellite Imagery

This study investigates the dynamics of land use and land cover (LULC) change in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi, using multitemporal Landsat imagery from 2001 (Landsat 7) and 2023 (Landsat 8). Four LULC classes; dense vegetation, sparse vegetation, built-up land, and water classified using a supervised Random Forest algorithm in Google Earth Engine, supported by NDVI and NDBI indices. The analysis employed the CROSTAB module in IDRISI for cross-classification of changes, revealing substantial shifts, particularly the conversion of vegetation to built-up land, signifying increased urban development. Accuracy validation using the Kappa index yielded a value of 0.9037, indicating a very good classification performance. These LULC transformations, primarily driven by urban expansion, population growth, and infrastructure development, have notable implications for ecological sustainability. The study underscores the importance of implementing sustainable land management policies to mitigate environmental impacts and support balanced regional development.