AGRICULTURAL OASIS EXPANSION AND URBAN GROWTH IN TOLGA SOUTHEASTERN ALGERIA: A GEOSPATIAL STUDY

The assessment of land use and land cover (LULC) changes is crucial to understanding its impacts on the natural environment and resources. The dynamics of LULC might be a result of national legislation or unplanned development. This study utilizes remote sensing data to evaluate the LULC in Tolga Oasis resulting from the promulgation of agricultural development law in 1983. Four Landsat images from 1985, 2000, 2015, and 2023 were classified using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) and ArcGIS Pro software. The findings showed a continuous change in the built-up area and vegetation area. The increase in built-up area was in conjunction with the rise in vegetation area. A spatial direction approach and concentric circle approach were used to assess the change in each direction and to identify the zone experiencing the most change in the built-up and agricultural oasis expansion. Shannon’s entropy model was used to measure the dispersion and the compactness of urban growth. The overall outcomes revealed that all directions showed an increase in built-up and vegetation area. Total Shannon’s entropy values showed compact urban growth in 1985, while, a dispersed development was recorded in 2000, 2015, and 2023. Statistical analysis demonstrated a high correlation between date palm plantations and vegetation area by 0,928%, as well as a significant correlation between built-up areas and population growth by 0,926%. These results can be helpful for the local authorities and planners in order to make a sustainable urban development and protect the fragile oasis ecosystem.