Analysis of Land Use Change Effects/Impacts on Surface Water Resources in Delhi

Rapid urbanization and haphazard development derive the changes in land uses and affect the naturally available resources which are essential for human development and other lives. Land use changes can undermine the environment and ecology of an urban area. Although many studies on the land use changes, trends, status, directions, and the relationship between them have been conducted for Chinese cities, none of them have been completed for Indian cities and also not for NCT Delhi. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of land use changes on surface water resources. So, this study aims to analyze the effects of land use changes on surface water resources in NCT Delhi, one water-stressed city in India. The analysis is comprised of changes, trends, status, and directions for surface water resources and other types of land use for showing the effects. Comprehensive tools such as remote sensing, GIS, and the cross-tabulation method are used for the assessment of land use changes, trends, and status. Four decadal (1990, 2000, 2010, 2020) satellite maps have been used to study the temporal-spatial data of several land uses and to calculate the index of land use changes for investigating the trends and status. In the form of results, the comprehensive net change (18.28%) and total change (49.28%) with a trend value of 0.37 show the quasi-balanced, two-way transition and positive changes in the whole area. This metrics-based study shows that surface water resources land use type is decreasing, and built-up land use type is increasing since 1990. Population growth, economic and industrial development were the major factors for the variations in built-up, green, and other land uses. This metrics-based analysis study is an important perspective for protecting urban water bodies from effects of land use changes. These understandings on land use changes and temporal-spatial relationships are important for present and future land use development and surface water resource planning. This study will help the Delhi Government’s initiatives for the rejuvenation of urban water bodies by endorsing the land use regulations on surrounding land uses.