Effects of land use change on landscape pattern of the Manas River watershed in Xinjiang, China

The mechanism of interaction between land use change and landscape pattern is pivotal in research concerning global environmental change. Quantitative evaluation of land use change that has resulted from excessive land development and its impact on landscape pattern are important for sustainable utilization of local land resources. The study area was the Manas River watershed, a typical watershed in an arid area. The present study evaluated the influence of long-term land use change on the landscape pattern; the findings are valuable for economic development and environmental protection. The processes for land use change and changes in landscape pattern were reconstructed and analyzed for data in topographic maps dated 1962 and in remote sensing images taken in 1976, 1989, 1999 and 2008 using mathematical models and landscape metrics. The results indicate significant changes in land use over the past 50 years, with increases in the areas of cultivated land and construction land, and a significant decrease in unused land and woodland areas; grassland and water resources first increased and then tended to decrease over this time. The comprehensive index of land use change is 0.55, indicating an unbalanced, one-way transition in the study area. Landscape fragmentation and diversity increased and landscape dominance decreased; in other words, differences between landscapes decreased. The changes resulted in a significant tendency toward diversity and fragmentation of the landscape. Therefore, large-scale intensive agricultural development can reduce the negative influence of land use change on the landscape pattern.     

我国西南岩溶石漠化土地生态建设分区治理思路与途径探讨

论述了实施岩溶石漠化分区治理的必要性;根据岩溶石漠化土地分布特点及区域自然地理、社会经济、生物资源等差异性,将我国西南岩溶区分为中高山、岩溶断陷盆地、岩溶高原、岩溶峡谷、峰丛洼地、岩溶槽谷、峰林平原及溶丘洼地（槽谷）8个岩溶石漠化综合治理区,其建设重点与主要措施分别是:中高山区重点实施封山育林育草与营造生态防护林与薪炭林,利用自然景观和原生态文化,发展生态旅游业;岩溶断陷盆地区对盆地周边山地实施封山育林育草,盆地内修缮水利设施,建设高效经果林或中草药基地;岩溶高原区保护好现有林草植被,积极发展水源涵养林与经济林,完善生态体系结构,培育生态经济型产业,合理开展生态移民;岩溶峡谷区通过封造、乔灌治理相结合,提高岩溶植被的生态功能,积极发展生态旅游业与特色农林牧业;峰丛洼地区开展封山育林育草,发展南亚热带特色林业,适度进行生态移民;岩溶槽谷区加强对石漠化区域的生态建设,提高非石漠化土地的开发利用力度;峰林平原区合理开发利用地表和地下水资源,实施封山育林和人工造林,提高森林生态功能与景观价值;溶丘洼地（槽谷）区则围绕洞庭湖流域、岩溶景观区开展封山育林育草、人工造林,加强薪炭林与沼气池建设。      

Desert riparian forest colonization in the lower reaches of Tarim River based on remote sensing analysis

The ecological water conveyance project that pipes water from Daxihaizi reservoir to lower reaches of Tarim River has been implemented ten times since 2000. After ecological water conveyance, restoration has taken place for vegetation along the dried-up lower reaches of the Tarim River. The changes of vegetation fluctuated yearly due to ecological water conveyance. In order to reveal the detailed process of vegetation changes, remote sensing images from 1999 to 2010 were all classified individually into vegetated and non-vegetated areas using the soil-adjusted vegetation index threshold method. Then inter-annual changes of vegetation over a period of 12 years were obtained using a post-classification change detection technique. Finally, spatial–temporal changes distribution of vegetation cover and its response to ecological water conveyance were analyzed. The results indicate: (1) vegetation area increased by 8.52 % overall after ecological water conveyance. Vegetation between 2003 and 2004 increased dramatically with 45.87 % while vegetation between 2002 and 2003 decreased dramatically with 17.83 %. (2) Vegetation area gain is greater than vegetation loss during 1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2003–2004 and 2009–2010 periods. Although vegetation restoration is obvious from 1999 to 2010, vegetation loss also existed except for the periods above. It indicates that vegetation restoration fluctuated due to ecological water conveyance. (3) Spatial distribution of vegetation restoration presented “strip” distribution along the river and group shaper in the lower terrain area, while spatial distribution of vegetation loss mainly located in the upper reaches of river and area far away from the river. (4) Vegetation restoration area had a positive relative with total ecological water conveyance volume. The scheme and season of ecological water conveyance had also influenced the vegetation restoration. The vegetation change process monitoring, based on continuous remote sensing data, can provide the spatial–temporal distribution of vegetation cover in a large-scale area and scientific evidences for implementing ecological water conveyance in the lower Tarim River.     

Changes in carbon sink value based on RS and GIS in the Heidaigou opencast coal mine

The dynamic change in the carbon sink value of the Heidaigou opencast mining area in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was analyzed by remote sensing and geographical information system to investigate the effect of land rehabilitation and ecological reconstruction in mining area on the biogeochemical cycle of carbon. The mining area’s carbon sink volume and value from 1987 to 2010 were calculated according to carbon sink capacity differences across various vegetation and land use types. The results indicate the following conclusions. (1) The carbon sink volume and value decreased by 17 % over 23 years, from 7,217,104.59 t and $1,082.57 million to 5,990,016.2 t and $898.50 million, respectively. (2) Assuming a dump is rehabilitated with 20 % woodland and 80 % grassland, the carbon sink volume and value can increase to 6,593,952.5 t and $989.09 million, respectively. The value would increase by 10.08 % after land rehabilitation. (3) Assuming that other industrial land is rehabilitated with grassland after the dumps are completely rehabilitated, the carbon sink volume and value would increase to 6,742,684.36 t and $1011.40 million, respectively. The value would increase by 12.57 % after land rehabilitation. The results indicate that land rehabilitation and ecological reconstruction can increase mining area carbon sinks and produce ecological and economic benefits. This study provides a new perspective on land rehabilitation and ecological reconstruction.     

Assessment of factors influencing groundwater-level change using groundwater flow simulation,considering vertical infiltration from rice-planted and crop-rotated paddy fields in Japan

Assessing factors that influence groundwater levels such as land use and pumping strategy, is essential to adequately manage groundwater resources. A transient numerical model for groundwater flow with infiltration was developed for the Tedori River alluvial fan (140 km²), Japan. The main water input into the groundwater body in this area is irrigation water, which is significantly influenced by land use, namely paddy and upland fields. The proposed model consists of two models, a one-dimensional (1-D) unsaturated-zone water flow model (HYDRUS-1D) for estimating groundwater recharge and a 3-D groundwater flow model (MODFLOW). Numerical simulation of groundwater flow from October 1975 to November 2009 was performed to validate the model. Simulation revealed seasonal groundwater level fluctuations, affected by paddy irrigation management. However, computational accuracy was limited by the spatiotemporal data resolution of the groundwater use. Both annual groundwater levels and recharge during the irrigation periods from 1975 to 2009 showed long-term decreasing trends. With the decline in rice-planted paddy field area, groundwater recharge cumulatively decreased to 61 % of the peak in 1977. A paddy-upland crop-rotation system could decrease groundwater recharge to 73–98 % relative to no crop rotation.     

Microwave D-InSAR technique for assessment of land subsidence in Kolkata city,India

An effective microwave Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (D-InSAR) technique was used to rapidly assess the potential land subsidence with high precision by exploiting the phase difference of two temporally separated SAR data in the region of Kolkata city, India. The objective of this study is to assess land subsidence using D-InSAR technique and to delineate the regions of land subsidence caused by over exploitation of groundwater by minimising the errors by applying topographic and atmospheric corrections. The study area forms a part of Indo-Gangetic plain. Three ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar ?(ASAR) images of the years 2003, 2007 and 2010 were acquired to study the temporal evolution of land subsidence in the study area. The phase changes due to topography in the interferograms were removed by using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) degital elevation model data. Medium Spectral Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data were applied to remove the atmospheric noise in the interferogram. The deformation fringes were observed in the northern and central part of the study area where the land subsidence was 12 and 18 mm during the years of 2003–2007 and 2007–2010. The regional variation in the piezometric head compares well with the fringes of the interferogram. This confirms over extraction of groundwater is the main cause for land subsidence in this region. Hence, it is necessary to reduce groundwater pumping and to augment rainfall recharge in northern part of the study area.     

西南岩溶区生态环境可持续发展的生态足迹分析——以广西为例

生态足迹是一种度量可持续发展程度的方法,能定量判断一个区域生态环境的发展是否处于生态承载能力的范围内.以西南岩溶地广西为例,采用生态足迹的理论和方法对2004年广西区域生态足迹状况进行了测算和实证分析,并与2003年进行了比较.结果表明:广西人均生态足迹由2003年的1.1378 hm2上升到2004年的1.2239 hm2;人均生态承载力由2003年的0.5753 hm2下降到2004年的0.5736 hm2,广西经济社会活动对生态环境的需求强度已经超过了生态承载力的供给;人均生态赤字由2003年的0.5625 hm2增长到2004年的0.6503 hm2,处于不可持续的发展状态.必须采取相应措施,促使广西生态环境发展向良性和可持续方向转化.     

Assessment of spatio-temporal variations in vegetation recovery after the Wenchuan earthquake using Landsat data

The 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 damaged the ecology of northwestern Sichuan, China. This study assessed ecological changes within a few years of the earthquake through satellite observations of vegetation dynamics in the earthquake area. As an ecological indicator, the fractional vegetation cover was extracted using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index based on multi-year Landsat images and was validated using airborne images. We found that the entire mountainous disaster area had recovered by 68.45 % 3 years after the 2008 earthquake. After rapid recovery of vegetation in 2009, the recovery process slowed. The vegetation recovery rate (VRR) in the area heavily damaged by landslides was slightly lower but nearly that of the entire disaster area. In addition, because of differences in the proportions of soil and rock in the damaged areas, recovery of vegetation in the southwest portion of the study area was slower than in the northeast areas. Topographic analysis of vegetation recovery patterns indicated that damage to vegetation was closely related to slope, while recovery of vegetation was more sensitive to elevation. The landscape analysis showed that the recovery rate (65.21 %) of the excellent vegetation cover type was slower than the overall VRR. This study suggests that vegetation recovery is a slow ecological process and that ecological restoration should be implemented in mountainous regions affected by the earthquake.     

A case study of flood risk transfer effect caused by land development in flood-prone lowlands

Many researches mention the land development in the watershed increases the peak flow rate and volume of the surface runoff. However, another phenomenon, the land development in the lowlands with filling method probably results in flood risk transfer effect, is rarely mentioned. This study took Heshunliao Farm as study object and used SOBEK model to assess the phenomenon. The terrain of this farm was flat and low, at an elevation of about 1.3–3 m before development. A filling method has been adopted to raise the surficial elevation in the development zone to 3–5 m. The western end of the development zone is still maintained its original elevation. The storm sewer system, detention basin, and pumping stations have been built in the development zone. There are two effects in the development of the low-lying land. One is the increase in the peak outflow rate in the development zone. Under a 10-year return period rainfall, the peak outflow rate after development has increased to 9.94 cm, compared to 2.62 cm when there was no development. Another effect is that the disappearance of the original flood-accumulated space due to land development activities transfers the risk of flooding to the surrounding land. Under a 10-year return period rainfall, the flooded area of the developed area was reduced from 78.4 ha before land development to 0.32 ha after the development, while the flooded area of the western end of the development zone increased from 13.28 ha before development to 27.20 ha after development.     

Eco-service value evaluation based on eco-economic functional regionalization in a typical basin of northwest arid area,China

Ecosystem services are the basis of human living and development. Land use has significant effects on the ecosystem structure and functions, even its services. Using the remote sensing (RS), geographical information system and ecological economy theory, this paper analyzed land use changes of different eco-economic functional areas in Manas River Basin during the period 1958–2006 using different stage RS images. This paper selects the evaluation method obtained by Costanza et al. and Xie Gaodi, and the ecological sensitivity coefficient analysis, which analyzed the variation characteristics of eco-service values of different eco-economic functional areas. The results showed that the land use pattern has changed greatly from 1958 to 2006. The area of farmland and industrial area increased rapidly, while the forest area, grassland, water area and unutilized area decreased greatly. The total eco-service value of the river basin decreased from 3,529.64 US$ × 10⁶ in 1958 to 2,559.88 US$ × 10⁶ in 2006. There was 27.47 % net loss of 969.76 US$ × 10⁶. The eco-service values of various land use types in the study area were close to the regional real values and the results were credible. There existed apparent temporal and spatial changes in the eco-service values of different eco-economic functional areas, and this significant change in the eco-service values was driven by economic development. Consequently, in view of eco-economic characteristics and ecological issues of various eco-economic functional areas, relevant strategies of ecological conservation were proposed for enhancing the general eco-service value of the river basin and realizing the regional sustainable development. The ‘‘yuan’’ is Chinese money unit (¥), US$1 = ¥6.27 (yuan).     

黑河流域典型景观植被带陆面过程同步观测研究

为了解内陆河流域不同尺度内与水循环及生态过程有关的水分、热量分布规律,在黑河流域上中下游选取3个典型植被景观带建立观测场,并布设环境观测系统(ENVIS)进行环境要素的同步观测.结果表明,山区森林草地灌丛复合生态区陆面是冷性湿润的下垫面,中游绿洲荒漠接触带是干性、较湿润的下垫面,下游荒漠河岸林景观带是干热性的下垫面.     

Demarcation of fluoride vulnerability zones in granitic aquifer,semi-arid region,Telengana, India

This study has been carried out in the granitic aquifer of Maheshwaram watershed, Telengana, India. In this study, groundwater sample data of 8 years were analyzed for the fluoride content with other chemical quality parameters. The correlation and factor analysis were employed to understand the mechanisms for fluoride (F) enrichment as well as the hydrochemistry of the area. These analyses addressed that the observed groundwater quality was due to water-rock interaction in the aquifer and fluoride is coming from the dissolution of fluorite and other silicate minerals like biotite and hornblende by the groundwater. Land use/land cover (LULC) study from 2002 to 2008 revealed there were significant positive changes in build-up land and negative changes in vegetation cover after 2003. The main agriculture (paddy) has been reduced to 0.97 km² in 2008 from 2.39 km² in 2003. The studied watershed has been characterized on the basis of F concentration into safe, transition, and unsafe groups following the WHO and BIS guidelines. The temporal variation of the three groups showed that 57.6% area of the watershed was in unsafe zone in 2000–2003, but 69.2% of the area became safe in 2006–2009. It has been found that F concentration reduced in 12.59% of the area (became safe from unsafe) accompanied by the reduction of paddy field area. After validation with present (2016) fluoride concentrations, it was found that 16.28% are vulnerable in near future. The results of this study showed that (a) the safe and unsafe zones of fluoride concentrations vary with time with the changes in other parameters associated with it like crop pattern and (b) vulnerable zone can be identified based on the susceptibility to change of safe and unsafe zones. Such studies are useful for planning and management purposes.     

Changes in irrigation management and quantity and quality of drainage water in a traditional irrigated land

Irrigated agriculture allows for the increase of agrarian yields and stability in food supply and raw materials, being, at the same time, responsible for the reduction of water resources availability and for the pollution by salts and nitrate. This work aims to analyze the impact of changes in irrigation management (establishment of an on-demand flood irrigated system, assignment of irrigation allowances and water payment for surface and irrigation water consumption) in a traditional irrigated land on drainage flow, electrical conductivity and nitrate concentration in irrigation return flows between the year 2001 and the period 2005–2008. Changes in water management significantly modified quantity (lower drainage) and quality (electrical conductivity and nitrate) of irrigation return flows, keeping similar evolution paths during the year with water ameliorants in summer due to the use of good irrigation water quality. Salinity in irrigation return flows is not a current problem in the area as electrical conductivity values in water did not exceed the limit established for water used in irrigation or intended for human consumption. Despite the fact that changes in irrigation management and crop distribution have reduced nitrate concentrations in irrigation return flows by 43 %, the water still presents nitrate values exceeding the 50 mg NO₃ ^?/l. Thus, nitrate remains as the main agro-environmental problem in this irrigation area. However, the nitrate concentration trends detected in this work mark the possibility of reaching nitrate values below 50 mg NO₃ ^?/l in the case of maintenance of the conditions in this agricultural system.     

Land cover and land use change related to shrimp farming in coastal areas of Quang Ninh,Vietnam using remotely sensed data

Rapid development of shrimp farming may lead to unrecognized and undesirable changes of land cover/land use patterns in coastal areas. Of special concern is the loss of mangrove forest in coastal areas such as Quang Ninh, Vietnam, which is adjacent to the World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay. Understanding the status and changes of land cover/land use for coastal shrimp farms and mangrove forests can support environmental protection and decision-making for sustainable development in coastal areas. Within this context, this paper uses the 1999/2001 Landsat ETM+ and the 2008 ALOS AVNIR-2 imagery to investigate the contraction and expansion of shrimp farms and mangrove forests in coastal areas of Ha Long and Mong Cai, which now have a high concentration of intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farms. Images were separately analyzed and classified before using post-classification comparisons to detect land cover/land use changes in the study area. The results of this study found that the area of mangrove forest has been reduced by an estimated 927.5 ha in Ha Long and 1,144.4 ha in Mong Cai, while shrimp farming areas increased by an estimated 1,195.9 and 1,702.5 ha, respectively, over the same period. The majority of shrimp farms in Mong Cai were established at the expense of mangrove forest (49.4 %) while shrimp farms in Ha Long were mainly constructed on areas previously occupied by bare ground (46.5 %) and a significant proportion also replaced mangroves (23.9 %). The remarkable rate of mangrove loss and shrimp farming expansion detected in this study, over a relatively short time scale indicate that greater awareness of environmental impacts of shrimp farm expansion is required if this industry is to be sustainable, the important estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems are to be protected over the long term, and the capturing and storing of carbon in mangrove systems are to be enhanced for global climate change mitigation and for use as carbon offsets.     

Agricultural drought risk analysis based on three main crops in prefecture-level cities in the monsoon region of east China

Drought, a frequent environmental disaster in the monsoon region of east China, significantly affects the agricultural economy. In recent years, researchers have emphasised drought risk management. This paper presents a preliminary method to analyse the risk of agricultural drought with regard to the loss of three main crops in individual prefecture-level cities in the monsoon region of east China. In this study, the agricultural drought risk is assessed by developing the index of consecutive rainless days and establishing loss rate curves based on the historical drought data from 1995 to 2008. The results show that the North China is seriously affected by drought hazard. Northeast China is the most sensitive to drought due to its large sown crop areas and weak irrigation. Approximately 11 % of the cities are in the extreme risk category; this category includes 26 % of the cultivated land area and 11 % of the total crop yields in the region. Twenty-three per cent of the cities, accounting for 28.5 % of the total cultivated land area and 26.4 % of the crop yields of the study area, are in high-risk areas, and 77 % of the cities with high and extreme risk levels are distributed in North and Northeast China. Moreover, 64 % of the cities in the monsoon region of East China are in moderate- and low-risk levels. These cities are primarily located south of the Yangtze River. In conclusion, minimising the risk of agricultural drought must be emphasised in northern China because of the high level of risk.     

干旱区绿洲灌溉条件下生态服务价值研究——以新疆轮台县为例

基于RS、GIS、景观生态学等方法,以新疆典型干旱区轮台县为研究区,利用1997年、2007年、2017年三期遥感影像解译结果,定量分析轮台县20年间土地利用景观格局变化特征,并运用生态系统服务价值（ESV）估算原理,定量分析轮台县生态服务功能ESV的年际变化,探讨ESV在景观格局演变下的损益和响应,来反映生态输水对塔河沿岸生态的影响。结果表明：轮台县以未利用地大幅度减少,林地与草地的大量增加为主,同时耕地、水域、建设用地以及冰川的面积也有不同程度的增加,但相对于整个县域面积依然相对较小;各斑块类型景观格局指数和整体景观格局指数以及空间格局都发生了不同程度的变化,未利用地对景观整体的控制性减弱,土地利用均匀性和多样性增加,最大斑块指数变化显著,散布并列指数先略有下降后明显增加;轮台县20年间各项生态系统服务功能的ESV均呈显著增加的趋势,ESV总量不断增大;轮台县ESV的增益集中在林地的增加上,占总增益的65.9%,轮台县ESV的损益集中在建设用地和未利用地的转入上,说明林地的增加和未利用地的减少是轮台县ESV增加的主要原因。该研究体现典型水源灌溉对轮台县生态的影响,为干旱区生态系统改善和土地利用规划提供依据。     

宁夏地区水资源对植被生长的影响研究

植被状况的变化是反映区域性生态环境状况的重要指标之一,多年植被指数的变化则反映了植被生态环境随时间的变化规律。采用定量遥感技术及斜率法,以全球植被指数MODIS NDVI数据作为数据源,对宁夏地区2000-2004年期间的植被指数变化幅度及变化趋势进行了研究。结果表明,从2000年开始,宁夏部分地区的植被指数呈现下降趋势,植被出现退化现象。在此基础上,对贺兰山、六盘山地区植被变化与降雨量的关系做了定量研究,并对红寺堡及银川平原等地区的水资源开发利用对植被的影响进行了较为详细的分析。贺兰山、六盘山的植被主要受降雨量的控制,而红寺堡地区的植被退化是由于水资源的不合理应用导致土壤盐渍化的结果,银川平原的植被则与引用黄河水量的减少和地下水的过量开采有关。     

Ecological health effects of rural livelihood and poverty reduction strategies in the Lake Bosomtwe basin of Ghana

Despite the growing recognition that poverty and environmental degradation remain a threat to achieving sustainable development goals, poverty–environment relationship is rarely explored. Crucial is the changing geography of the Lake Bosomtwe basin of Ghana. In this paper we examine how intensive and extensive fishing and farming in the name of livelihood sustainability, poverty reduction and human well-being undermine ecological health within the lake basin by subjecting data collected from 250 respondents to factor analysis. From a geo-referenced and processed classification of remotely sensed and GIS images over three periods using the maximum likelihood classifier algorithm, the results showed that, built up areas within the lake basin increased from 543.64 ha in 1986 to 7682.97 ha in 2008. Dense forest and rangeland decreased from 8698.95 and 22,660.88 ha over the same period to 1416.33 and 8577.99 ha in 2008 respectively. Other indicators such as water levels and fish stock also saw drastic reduction. The results further showed that major changes in the ecological landscape of the basin over the years are the outcomes of both direct and indirect drivers such as slash and burn agriculture, unregulated development of tourism facilities, overfishing, use of illegal fishing gear, poverty, annual overturn, climate change, market and institutional failures. Hence, a paradigm shift from the traditional site level forest restoration efforts to a landscape level, and a “conservation first principle” as a top priority in planning for the future, as well as focus on non-farm activities to reduce pressure on the natural capital are required.     

The characteristics of water resources and the changes of the hydrological process and environment in the arid zone of northwest China

 Water resources in the arid zones of northwest China mainly come from mountain areas and then flow to and disappear in the piedmont plains. These water resources, with inland river basins as the geographic unit, form relatively independent ecosystems and the surface runoff flowing out of the mountain mouth becomes the only water source available for the middle and lower reaches of these basins. Both the ecosystem stability and sustainable development depend on the surface water and groundwater resources of these inland river basins. Over the last 50 years, exploitation of water and land resources in the arid northwest regions of China has been expanding, forming 390.07×10⁴ ha of irrigation oases, with construction of 622 reservoirs of different sizes with a total storage capacity of 65.5×10⁸ m³ ensuring the sustainable development of industrial and agricultural production. In the meantime it has also caused a series of environmental changes. Discharge of the majority of rivers has been drastically reduced (even dried up), river courses have been shortened, and terminal lakes contracted or dried up. Land desertification and soil salinization has developed rapidly. Vegetation is degrading and biodiversity is decreasing, as compared with the early 1950s; the natural grassland area is decreasing by 16–75.4%. Economical and high-effective use of water resources and harmonization of eco-environment benefits with economic benefits are the fundamental ways to achieve sustainable development of arid northwest China. Received: 20 January 1999 · Accepted: 4 May 1999     

Monitoring land use/land cover change using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images in an arid environment: a case study of El-Arish,Egypt

Environment in arid conditions is dynamic and needs more investigation to understand the complexity of change. This spatiotemporal study will help to assess and monitor the land use and land cover change in the arid region of El-Arish area, where the climate and human activities are the major threats to rural development. In the past 11 years, dramatic changes of environment have been recorded in case studies. The post-classification comparison method was used to observe the changes using multi-temporal satellite images which were captured in the years 1999, 2001, 2005, and 2010. The overall accuracy of the produced thematic images was assessed regarding to the quantity and allocation disagreements. Five classes were defined in this investigation: bare soil, vegetation, urban, sand dunes, and fertile soil. From the year 1999 to 2010, fertile soil was increased by 13 %. Bare soil class occupied more than 50 % of land in the case study during for over a decade. From year 1999 to 2010, vegetation cover witnessed a dramatic increase. Soil and water management are the keys of land development and positive land use and land cover dynamics. Changing agricultural policies of using the available water resources are needed in the case study to prevent severe food shortage in the future.