Impact of Land Use Changes on Groundwater Recharge in Deccan Basaltic Aquifers from Western India

Abstract. Groundwater, a critical freshwater resource, is under increasing pressure from rapid urbanization and environmental changes, especially in India, where declining levels threaten water and food security. These challenges are made worse by a lack of integrated management strategies and the overarching impacts of climate change on hydrological patterns. This research investigates the dynamic changes in land use and land cover (LULC) within parts of the Pune and Satara districts of Maharashtra. We used remote sensing data and geospatial techniques from 2015 to 2024.

Our study used multitemporal Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data, processed and analyzed on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. We classified five main LULC categories: Water Body, Vegetation (Forest), Agricultural Area, Barren Land, and Built-up. The accuracy of the LULC maps was carefully assessed. The overall accuracy improved from 85% in 2015 to 89% in 2024, and the Kappa coefficient increased from 0.768 to 0.867, showing robust classification performance.

The findings show a substantial LULC transformation. Over the nine-year period, Built-up areas expanded significantly by 7.99%, reflecting rapid urbanization. At the same time, Agricultural areas also increased by 4.99%. In contrast, both Forest cover and Barren Land declined by 2.38% each, while Water bodies had a minor net decrease of 0.49%. These significant conversions highlight the impact of factors such as population growth, accelerated urban expansion, economic development, and the growth of industrial and commercial activities.

These findings highlight an urgent need for formulating and rigorously implementing effective land-use policies and regulations. These policies are essential for ensuring sustainable urban development and balancing the competing demands on finite land resources. The GEE-based approach proved to be a powerful and efficient method for examining LULC changes, offering actionable insights for urban planning and land-use management strategies. This research emphasizes the critical need for robust policies to foster sustainable development amidst the complex interplay of competing land demands and the ongoing challenges of urbanization.