Research Trends in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Using Remote Sensing Techniques in East Africa
Abstract
Land is a strategic natural resource for every nation, which directly or indirectly contributes to people’s welfare and economic livelihood, particularly in East Africa. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) research helps assess the extent of under- or overutilization of this resource for sustainability, posterity, or even policy-making purposes. The study aimed to examine the current trending topics, themes evolution, and future directions in this field, as well as identify the most influential authors, institutions, and countries in the field of LULC using remote sensing in East Africa. Bibliometric analysis was utilised to help identify changes, transitions, and drivers, and to explore possible future research directions in LULC and RS. A total of 411 records were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database. The records were filtered using keywords such as LULC, remote sensing, and the names of East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi). Data was analysed using R-Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. Results emphasise the collaboration between regional and international institutions to enhance the quality and visibility of research outputs. Besides Kenya, Tanzania, the USA, Germany, and England are among the top five contributors, collectively accounting for 85% of publications. Encouraging the use of advanced remote sensing technologies and innovative methodologies to address pressing environmental challenges in East Africa: Bridge the gaps between research and policy by aligning studies with regional development priorities. Future research should incorporate diverse high-resolution and accurate data sources while using cloud-based geospatial platforms. Additionally, researchers can focus on the integration of LULC change analysis with local ecological knowledge integration for a holistic understanding of drivers and impacts of change for policy and management purposes
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