Leveraging Spatial Analysis for Sustainable Land Use Change Management: A Case of the Mountain Elgon Region

This study explores how associations between slope, elevation, distance to roads and rivers, population growth and hillshade influence spatial and temporal variations in land use change in the Mountain Elgon Region. Using remote sensing, geographic information systems and spatial modelling, the research found that deforestation is a persistent phenomenon, with forest cover projected to fall from 32.34% (2014) to 14.40% (2054), while urbanization is rapidly increasing from 18.27% to 48.55% over the same period. The study identifies strong correlations between population growth, distance from roads, elevation and slope, and recommends seeking balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability to promote land use change management.