Work

Land use and land cover change driven by Rohingya refugee settlements in Bangladesh derived from satellite observations using geospatial techniques

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The increasing number of Rohingya camps with forced migration from Arakan State over a short period of time has resulted in the limit of attaining environmental landscape. The research study aims to analyze the environmental impact due to the migration of Rohingya refugees to ensuing surrounding camp regions on a temporal basis. The study delves into how the spread of camps has altered land use, leading to the gradual eradication of forest and agricultural land and the gradual expansion of urban areas. The Maximum Likelihood Classification in ArcGIS 10.7 and ERDAS Imagine were used to process multispectral Landsat-8 OLI-TIRS images (2013–2021). Land cover shifted significantly over the course of nine years, with built-up areas and Rohingya camps growing by 5.61% and 5.10%, respectively, while forest and agricultural land decreased by 6.20% and 3.81%. The increase in area covered by Rohingya camp almost caught up to urban built-up causing significant impact on landcover areas. Their consistency in evaluating vegetative health and environmental condition was confirmed by multivariate analysis, which revealed a substantial positive correlation between NDVI and EVI (r = 0.94–0.97). LST raised by around 0.12 °C yr − 1 , according to time-series study, whereas NDVI and EVI decreased from 0.67 to 0.51 and 0.68 to 0.48, respectively. This indicates a gradual reduction in plant health within the research region. The research exposes a potential decline in ecosystem health by analyzing changes in vegetation health using remote sensing technologies. The necessity for sustainable solutions is underscored by environmental degradation and resource depletion, which ultimately bolsters the efforts to ensure the secure resettlement of the Rohingya population.

Source: Discover Environment

DOI: 10.1007/s44274-026-00845-7

Authors: Khan Mohammad Ibtehal, Hosna Jahan Kanica, Mohammad Azharul Islam, Md Minarul Hoque

Institutions: Bangladesh Maritime University, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Bangladesh University of Professionals

Language: English

Topic: Remote Sensing and Land Use

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,390