Land use and land cover change of Doğanşehir district (Malatya) 1990-2023

Determination of the current spatial distribution of land cover and use classes and examination of the changes that occurred throughout the process constitute an important basis for studies carried out in social, cultural, economic and many other fields. Today, spatial and temporal changes in land use can be determined using remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems. In the study, field studies and observations were conducted, archives were scanned, current data were accessed and photographs were taken to show the changes in the land. In this study, LANDSAT data with 5 TM images, 7 bands and 30 m resolution except for 6 bands (thermal band) were used to analyze the land use and land cover changes in Doğanşehir (Malatya) district. The information obtained from the LANDSAT database was evaluated by creating the periods 1990-2000, 2000-2010, 2010-2023 in 7 different land classes using the CORINE classification system. As a result of the evaluations, it was determined that by the end of 2023, the lands classified as bare, rocky and stony areas increased by 572.01 km2, forest areas increased by 24.73 km2 and pasture areas decreased by 159.69 km2. When these changes are evaluated as a ratio, it is seen that the lands classified as bare, rocky and stony areas increased by 41.93%, forest areas increased by 1.81% and pasture areas increased by only 11.71%. In addition, land use and land cover maps were created in the study, the spatial distribution of the changes was determined and examinations were made on the map. In addition, it was observed that both agricultural areas and a part of forest areas shifted to artificial areas in a period of approximately 33 years. As a result of the study, it was seen that reliable data and results obtained in the examination of land cover and land use and the ability of satellite images to observe large areas in time periods and with high resolution can be used. The changes in land use and land cover in Doğanşehir district were examined and interpreted, and suggestions were made for the development and progress of the district. Keywords: CORINE classification, Land Use and Land Cover, Satellite Data, GIS, Malatya, Doğanşehir.