A Geospatial Approach to Land Use/Land Cover Mapping of Laveru Mandals, Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive geospatial analysis of land use/land cover (LULC) in Laveru Mandal and the surrounding regions of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India, using Sentinel-2A satellite imagery (February 25, 2019) with 10 m spatial resolution. Standard visual interpretation techniques and GIS-based spatial analysis were employed to classify and map LULC features at a scale of 1:50,000. A total of fourteen LULC classes were identified, including cropland, agricultural plantations, fallow land, scrubland, water bodies, and built-up areas. The results indicate that cropland dominates the study area (53.67%), followed by agricultural plantations (24.08%) and scrubland (4.26%). The study highlights significant anthropogenic pressure on land resources and emphasizes the role of remote sensing and GIS in sustainable land resource management and environmental monitoring.

Introduction

It begins by explaining that land and water are essential for sustaining life and civilizations, but increasing human activity has led to land overexploitation and environmental degradation. Land use refers to how land is utilized (e.g., agriculture, settlement), while land cover refers to what physically exists on the surface (e.g., vegetation, water, urban areas). Understanding both is important for planning, resource management, and environmental monitoring.

The study focuses on the Laveru Mandal region in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India, covering about 536.74 km². The area is mostly rural with agriculture as the main livelihood and experiences a humid to sub-humid climate with significant rainfall. The terrain includes agricultural land, scrub areas, and coastal features.

Methodologically, the study uses remote sensing data (Sentinel-2A satellite imagery) and GIS tools (ArcGIS) along with Survey of India topographic maps. The region is divided into segments, and land use/land cover is mapped using visual interpretation, image processing, and field verification (ground truthing with GPS).

The results identify multiple land use and land cover classes, including agriculture, cropland, plantations, fallow land, scrubland, urban areas, water bodies, industrial areas, mining zones, and coastal regions. Among these, cropland occupies the largest area, followed by agriculture plantations and fallow land, while urban and industrial areas occupy very small portions.

The study provides detailed descriptions of each land category, explaining their characteristics and distribution. It highlights that agriculture dominates the region, while other land types such as barren land, mining areas, and water bodies are comparatively limited.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating Remote Sensing and GIS techniques for comprehensive Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) analysis in the Laveru region of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. The results reveal significant spatio-temporal changes between 2000 and 2020, characterized by an increase in water bodies (3.44%) and plantation areas, alongside a decline in vegetation cover, barren land, and built-up areas. Agricultural dynamics indicate a gradual shift from traditional cropping to horticultural plantations driven by erratic rainfall, declining groundwater levels, and reduced reservoir storage within the Kandivalasa River Basin. The expansion of dunes and active sand migration in the northwestern sector has further altered land use patterns, contributing to land degradation and reduced agricultural productivity. Socio-economic impacts are evident through increased rural outmigration, leading to a rise in fallow and wasteland areas. Despite these changes, nearly 75% of the region remains under agricultural use, highlighting its continued dependence on agrarian activities. Overall, the study underscores the critical role of remote sensing and GIS-based approaches in monitoring LULC dynamics and supporting sustainable land and water resource management. The findings provide a scientific basis for policy interventions aimed at climate-resilient agriculture, groundwater conservation, and mitigation of land degradation to ensure long-term environmental sustainability.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Y Padmini, P Jagadeeswara Rao, Y Vinay Kumar, G Raja Rao, M Srinivasa Rao. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.