ANNOUNCEMENTS
Assam, a north-eastern state of India, is known for its rich forest cover. The state has a diverse range of forests. These forests are home to a variety of wildlife. But this richness has been dwindling over the years due to various natural and anthropogenic factors like population growth, agriculture expansion, infrastructure development, encroachment, habitat fragmentation, disasters, and climate change. All these factors affect the state's forest cover through soil erosion, landslides, alteration to forest topography, and deforestation.
Climate change is considered one of the primary drivers of deforestation, and it is closely linked to the change in forest canopy cover. Climate change can cause extreme weather conditions, such as floods, droughts, and forest fires, as well as changes in temperature and rainfall patterns, which can have severe consequences for forest ecosystems. Changes in forest canopy cover due to deforestation can lead to a loss of biodiversity, alterations in water cycles, soil erosion, and degradation of the environment, affecting the planet's inhabitants and their livelihoods i.e., disturbing the forest ecosystem Therefore, it is crucial to mitigate the impacts of climate change to preserve forest canopy cover and safeguard the integrity of the forest ecosystem. GIS and remote sensing technologies can assist in monitoring and analysing forest canopy cover changes due to deforestation and climate change. These tools provide spatial and temporal data, allowing for the direct correlation of climatic parameters with changes in tree cover. Models can be used to predict future canopy cover and land use/land cover patterns under different climate change scenarios, such as RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways). This information can aid in the development of policies and management strategies to conserve forest ecosystems and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The objective of this study is to assess the spatio-temporal change in land use/land cover (LULC) of Karbi Anglong district, Assam over a 32-year period (1990-2022), with a particular focus on forest cover. The district has a forest cover of around 75%, which is higher than the state's average of 35%. The study aims to identify the natural and anthropogenic drivers of deforestation and evaluate the impact of climate change on the forest cover. Additionally, statistical methods will be used to correlate climate change and the variation of forest canopy cover.
