Land cover/use classification using remotely sensed imagery from Google earth

Abstract

Google has emerged as a critical tool in land use mapping. The free remotely sensed satellite imagery availed in Google earth plays a crucial role in land use/cover mapping. This study, therefore mapped the land cover types for Victoria Falls. To achieve this, land cover data was obtained through digitizing satellite images made available through Google earth. Land cover classification was achieved through on screen digitizing. Land uses were classified through visual interpretation of satellite imagery availed through Google earth. The land covers were converted into polygons, point and vector data formats which are compatible with GIS software. The GIS vector and polygon data was imported into ILWIS where it was georefenced to UTM coordinates system. Map showing the spatial distribution of different land cover types was produced using ILWIS GIS. Results indicate that the major land uses in Victoria Falls include settlement, national parks and roads. It is recommended that informed land use planning decisions should take cognicence of the land use map. This may assist land use planners to integrate elephant conservation issues and infrastructural development in the area.