Monitoring and mapping of desertification process using geospatial data and GIS technologies in Mirzachul area

\nDesertification reduces the land’s ability to withstand changes in climate, including the availability of water and other resources. Remote sensing technology has the potential to monitor and assess land degradation over time. The aim of this study is to use remote sensing images to assess desertification in Uzbekistan and compare the results with formal land productivity monitoring. The Mirzachul area was selected as a case study for monitoring desertification. Landsat images from 1994 to 2024 and the Soil Map of Uzbekistan were used as secondary data to determine the types of soil present in the case study area. The analysis focused on NDVI, SAVI, and WDVI. The results showed a significant difference in sandy bare soil and steppe trends in 1994, with approximately 4.5 million hectares of sandy bare soil and 250,000 hectares of steppe. However, by 2024, the area of sandy bare soil had decreased sharply by about 50% to 1.5 million hectares, while the area of steppe had increased to 2 million hectares.\n