Vegetation Coverage Decline in Relation to Rapid Urbanization in Nghe an Province, Vietnam

Background: Urbanization, a trend driven by socio-economic development, has led to a significant decline in vegetation cover and exacerbated ecological and environmental complexities worldwide. As a result, monitoring urban expansion has become crucial for efficient urban management and addressing ecological and environmental concerns. This study aims to investigate the spatial and temporal variations in vegetation cover in Nghe An province, Vietnam over the past two decades, focusing on the impacts of urbanization. Methods: Using the Google Earth Engine platform, we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes in vegetation cover from remote sensing images based on the maximum likelihood method (MLM). Our accuracy assessment yielded high Kappa indexes, ranging from 0.87 to 0.91, and classification methods resulted in accuracy levels of 89.2% to 92.7%. Result: The results indicate a significant decline in vegetation cover, with a total area decrease of 152,752 hectares at an average annual rate of 0.39% (approximately 6,364 hectares) per year. Concurrently, bare land and urban land areas increased by approximately 64,760 and 147,934 hectares, respectively, with average annual growth rates of 2,698 and 6,163 hectares over the period 2000-2024. These results highlight the pressing need for effective measures to mitigate the decline in vegetation cover and promote sustainable urban development in the study area.