Monitoring and Landscape Quantification of Uncontrolled Urbanisation in Oasis Regions: The Case of Adrar City in Algeria

Abstract

Nowadays, uncontrolled urbanisation is one of the major problems facing Algerian oasis regions. The monitoring and evaluation of its landscape transformations remain a key step for any oasis sustainability project. This study highlights the evolution of spatial growth in the city of Adrar in southern Algeria during the period 1986-2016 by establishing a Spatio-temporal mapping and landscape quantification. The methodological approach is based on a multi-temporal analysis of Landsat satellite images for 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016, and the application of landscape metrics. The results show two opposite spatial trends: significant growth of built-up areas against an excessive loss of palm groves. The landscape metrics allowed the identification of a progressive fragmentation process characterising the palm groves. Thus, the findings of this study show the utility of satellite imagery and landscape metrics approach for monitoring urbanisation patterns and assessing their impacts on oasis ecosystems.