Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Changes in Mangroves Along Thane Creek of Mumbai (India) Using Geospatial Tools

Advanced geospatial tools like remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) proved beneficial in providing a detailed scenario on land use and land cover patterns. The increasing population poses pressure on natural resources, has modified them at irrecoverable levels. The present study was carried out to analyze the spatial and temporal changes which occurred along the parts of Thane creek of Mumbai using different satellite imagery viz., 1992 (Landsat Thematic Mapper), 2001 (Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper) and 2005 (IRS P6 LISS IV multispectral) data. Satellite data was classified using supervised techniques to delineate different land cover features. The study found an increase of mangrove areas along the coastline from 1992 to 2001 and decrease in area from 2001 to 2005. We suggest for conservation of remaining mangrove areas in future.