Monitoring spatial and temporal urbanization pattern in the Jaffna peninsula using remote sensing techniques

Abstract

This research examines the spatiotemporal pattern of urbanization in the Jaffna Peninsula using Remote Sensing and spatial analysis techniques. The spatial and temporal information on urbanization pattern in the Patna Peninsula is very essential for various planning and development related activities. There was no research undertaken on the pattern of urbanization in the Peninsula for the last few decades. This research has studied the urbanization pattern based on spatial data for the last 50 years compiled from satellite images and Aria! photograph. Medium resolution images of the study area were analyzed to map out the pattern through the techniques of Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing. Supervised classification techniques were used to analyze the images to recognize the spatial pattern of urbanization. The recognized pattern of land use changes were analyzed using the techniques of spatial metrics. A dynamic spatial pattern of urbanization has been observed in the peripheral areas towns, Jaffna, Chavakachcheri, Nelliyadi, Point Pedro and Chunakam towns and ribbon development along the main transport routes in the Peninsula. Substantial changes in the urbanized area have been prevalent around the Jaffna town which is largest town in the Peninsula. Urbanization took place at a slow growth rate in the 1960s and 1970s but has grown rapidly since the 1980s. Again in 1990s, the growth rate had declined due to the intensive war centered in the Jaffna Peninsula. There has been significant urban growth in the Peninsula during the last decade as a result of the political changes in the country. The urbanization process has developed fragmel'lted and heterogeneous land use combinations in the fringe areas of towns in the Peninsula. However, the regeneration process in the city core during the last few years has shown a decreasing trend in the peripheries. The study also shows that the urbanization trend in the Jaffna Peninsula has been causing numerous consequences economically and environmentally. Further research works deploying high resolution satellite images to survey the urbanization pattern are required in the future.