Using GIS and Remote Sensing to Assess Wetland loss in response to Human activities: a case study of Fort Portal Tourism Cuty.

Abstract

Wetlands are among the world’s most biologically productive ecosystems and rich in a diversity of species. Wetlands are very important storehouses of plant genetic material some of which are valuable resources for human wellbeing. Water purification, flood control, temperature adjustment, are among the services they offer. Despite all of these advantages, humans have persisted to modify wetlands for settlement and other commercial purposes. The spatial and temporal change in Fort Portal City’s wetlands was assessed using Landsat TM datasets from 1995, 2008, and 2017. This was accomplished by using Arc Map software to map land cover categories in the research area using Iso cluster unsupervised classification, identify post-classification change, and find out the major human activities leading to wetland loss. According to the findings, 86 percent of wetlands in Fort Portal City were lost between 1995 and 2017, with approximately 44% linked to Dense Vegetation and Farmland, 37% to Built up areas, and 5% to Recreational parks and livestock farms. Basing on the findings in this study, it is clear that without proper planning and management, the wetlands in Fort Portal Tourism City will continue to reduce.