Remote Sensing for Land Use Mapping, Case of The Study Area: Urban Commune of Saada, Morocco

Abstract

The phenomenon of urban planning in favor of agricultural land on the outskirts of the city of Marrakech is in full expansion. The study of land use changes is of pivotal interest for the knowledge, management, monitoring, surveillance, and evaluation of our environment. Indeed, the city of Marrakech has been experiencing exponential population growth for several decades. This phenomenon has led to a dynamic urban characterized by the increase and densification of urbanized areas (e.g. buildings and infrastructures) which leads to the occupation of natural spaces. To this end, this study aims at highlighting the mapping and evolution of land use in the city of Marrakech from Landsat satellite image data (1989, 2005 and 2020) through the application of the Image classification using Machine Learning algorithms with the QGis Orfeo Toolbox, which facilitate the production of land use maps at three dates as well as an evolution map of the conurbation and also to quantify the obtained results. The directions of extension of the urban area were defined and thus demonstrate its impact on the agricultural land located in the peri-urban area.