This study evaluates land use/cover

This study evaluates land use/cover changes and urban expansion in Greater Dhaka,
Bangladesh, between 1975 and 2003 using satellite images and socio-economic data.
Spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/cover changes were quantified using three
Landsat images, a supervised classification algorithm and the post-classification change
detection technique in GIS. Accuracy of the Landsat-derived land use/cover maps ranged
from 85 to 90%. The analysis revealed that substantial growth of built-up areas in Greater
Dhaka over the study period resulted significant decrease in the area of water bodies,
cultivated land, vegetation and wetlands. Urban land expansion has been largely driven by
elevation, population growth and economic development. Rapid urban expansion through
infilling of low-lying areas and clearing of vegetation resulted in a wide range of environmental
impacts, including habitat quality. As reliable and current data are lacking for
Bangladesh, the land use maps produced in this study will contribute to both the development
of sustainable urban land use planning decisions and also for forecasting possible
future changes in growth patterns.