Thirty-one years of land use, coverage, and occupation in the municipality of Santa Cruz Cabrália, Bahia

Understanding changes in land use is crucial for environmental planning and sustainable development and for balancing human needs with conservation efforts. This study aimed to analyze land use, land cover, and land occupation in the Santa Cruz Cabrália municipality between 1990 and 2021 by employing geoprocessing techniques for coverage, use, and occupation analysis and mapping, as well as classification of coverage classes. The data were acquired through the MapBiomas platform and processed using QGIS software, facilitating map creation and statistical data analysis. The results indicate significant changes in land use and occupation within the municipality during this period. The key highlights include 1) the implementation and expansion of silviculture, 2) the expansion of urbanization, 3) the trend of decreasing watercourses, and 4) the reduction of native vegetation. The findings contribute to understanding how quickly human activities, occupation, and environmental management challenges have evolved in the region of the Brazilian Discovery Cities.