Land Use and Land Cover Change Assessment in Aurora Province (2020–2025) Using GIS-Based Spatial Analysis
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This study examines land use and land cover (LULC) changes in Aurora Province, Philippines, from 2020 to 2025 using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping techniques. The objective is to identify spatial and quantitative changes in major land cover types, including forest, agricultural areas, built-up zones, and other land classifications. Secondary spatial datasets from the Philippine Geoportal were processed and analysed using QGIS to generate LULC maps and perform change detection. Results show that Aurora Province remains predominantly forested, with closed forest as the largest land cover category in both years. However, changes were observed, including increases in built-up areas and annual crops, and decreases in open forest, grassland, and fishpond areas. These trends may suggest gradual land conversion influenced by development pressures and land-use activities. Despite these changes, forest cover continues to dominate the landscape, indicating that forested areas remain the primary land cover within the province.
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