Land use and land cover change analysis of District Charsadda , 1 Pakistan along Kabul River in 2010 flood : using an advance 2 geographic information system and remote sensing techniques

The objective of this research study was to quantify land use and land cover changes before and after 8 the 2010 flood at District Charsadda, Pakistan. The land use and land cover changes were evaluated with the help 9 of advanced geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques (RST). Moreover, some 10 remedial measures were taken to develop land use/land cover of the area to overcome future problems. Land use 11 and land cover changes were measured by using satellite images. Two instances were compared, i.e. pre-flood 12 and post-flood, to analyze the change in land use/land cover of District Charsadda within 5Km along the Kabul 13 River. Comparative analysis of pre and post-flood imageries shows drastic changes over the water body, built-up 14 area, agriculture land, and bare land during flood instances. The study area is rural and agricultural land is 15 dominant in the area. We evaluated the percentage of different land uses/land covers within our study area, as 16 agricultural land was about 68.5%, barren land was about 22.5 %, and the water body was 8.8 % before the flood. 17 After inundation, the water body raised to 16.4 %, bare soil increased to 26.30 %, agriculture land degraded up to 18 57 %, and settlements (villages) along River Kabul were badly damaged and finished by this flood. Approximately, 19 four villages of District Nowshera, six villages of District Peshawar, and twenty-seven villages of Charsadda 20 District were badly damaged during the 2010 flood. 21