Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija from 2015 – 2025 Using GIS Mapping

This study assesses the Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes in the municipality of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, from 2015 to 2025 using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. As a critical watershed area and the site of the Pantabangan Dam, understanding spatial transformations in the municipality is vital for evaluating ground stability, supporting infrastructure planning, and mitigating geological hazards. Employing a descriptive and spatial-analytical research design, the study utilized QGIS software to analyse secondary LULC datasets obtained from the Philippine Geoportal for the years 2015, 2020, and 2025. Spatial overlay analysis and area computations revealed significant transformations across multiple land cover categories over the ten-year period. Results indicate that while brush and shrubs remained the dominant land cover, this category experienced a notable decrease of 36.21%, translating to a loss of 4,889.91 hectares. Conversely, closed forests exhibited the most substantial growth, expanding by 1607.11% (2,769.38 hectares), suggesting potential vegetation recovery and natural ecological succession. Additionally, builtup areas increased by 175.30% and grasslands expanded by 89.97%, reflecting ongoing settlement growth, infrastructure development, and land conversion activities. Despite these developmental shifts, Pantabangan remains largely dominated by natural vegetation. Ultimately, the findings emphasize the necessity of integrating GIS-based environmental monitoring into civil engineering and municipal planning to ensure sustainable infrastructure development and the continuous preservation of watershed ecosystems.