Author(s)

Spencer Sibanda^*, Satoshi Tsuyuki

Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Identifying spatiotemporal patterns of land use and land cover changes (LULCC) and their impacts on the natural environment is essential in policy decisions for effective, sustainable natural resource management solutions. This study employed supervised image classification in Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based platform to assess the land cover land use changes for the past 30 years (1989-2020), as well as predict the land cover states and the risk of future forest loss in the next ten years, using TerrSet 20 software in Hurungwe district, Zimbabwe. The study findings revealed a net forest area and shrub loss of 32% and 10%, while croplands, water bodies, and bare lands have increased by about 171%, 7%, and 119% between 1989 and 2020, respectively. Croplands are the major contributor to the net change in forests, particularly tobacco farming. The predictive model estimated that by 2030 the district would lose approximately 7% of the current forest cover area, most likely converted into croplands, shrubs, and settlements. The results reinforce the importance of bridging the gap between socioeconomic activities and institutional policies to ensure proper natural resource management. Integrating institutional policy and socioeconomic goals is indispensable to ensure sustainable development.

Land Use and Land Cover Change, Cellular Automata-Markov, Tobacco Farming, Drivers of Deforestation, Geographic Information System

Sibanda, S. and Tsuyuki, S. (2022) Identifying the Rates and Drivers of Spatiotemporal Patterns of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Hurungwe District, Zimbabwe: A GIS and Remote Sensing Approach. Journal of Geographic Information System, 14, 652-679. doi: 10.4236/jgis.2022.146037.