- English
Urbanisation in Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, has significantly impacted land use and land cover (LULC) over the past four
decades. This study addresses the pressing issue of how rapid urban expansion affects green spaces and environmental
balance. Utilizing satellite imagery and a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm, LULC maps for 1993, 2003, 2013, and
2023 were generated to analyze changes in land cover, including agriculture, barren land, built-up areas, vegetation,
wasteland, fallow land, and water bodies. The Dyna-CLUE model, incorporating variables such as elevation, slope, aspect,
and proximity to streams and roads, was employed to forecast LULC changes for 2033 and 2043. The findings reveal a
marked increase in built-up areas at the expense of vegetative cover, driven by urbanization, infrastructural development,
agricultural expansion, climate change, and policy decisions. With Kappa coefficients indicating high agreement
between classified land cover and ground truth data (84–90% accuracy), the study projects continued urban growth
and further decline in vegetation. This underscores the urgent need for sustainable land use planning and environmental
conservation in Jaipur. Proposed strategies to address these issues include establishing ecological zones, enforcing
green building regulations, promoting mixed-use development, and implementing a 15-min green space policy. These
measures aim to enhance green space distribution and support Jaipur’s transition towards a greener urban environment.
- English
