Dynamics of land use and land cover change in the distal Okavango Delta, Botswana

Population increase and socio-economic progress exert pressure on land use and land cover (LULC) in any geophysical environment. If not minimized, the pressure has the potential to unfold as unplanned and uncontrolled alterations in LULC. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) prove to be powerful tools for obtaining accurate and real-time information on the spatial distribution of land use and land cover change (LULCC) both spatially and temporally over a wide area. This research paper uses remotely sensed spatial data and a literature review to examine the extent of LULCC over three decades in the distal Okavango Delta with specific attention on Maun, Botswana. The study assesses changes in population growth, built-up areas, road/pavements, water fluctuations, hydrophytes and shrubs/trees dynamics from April 1990 to April 2020. Findings reveal that while the population of Maun increased from 26,768 to 85,293 between 1990–2020 built-up areas increased from 0.68 km2 to 9.61 km2 and shrubs/trees decreased from 13.53 km2 to 7.06 km2, respectively, within the same period. Grasslands increased from 8.57 km2 in 1990 to 13.44 km2 by 2020. The paper thus recommends the establishment of a two-kilometre-wide green belt around the settlement to stem any progressive encroachment into agricultural reserved land.