Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Urban Highlands: The Case of Takengon Region, Aceh Tengah, Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to identify patterns of Land Use and Land Cover (LUC) changes at Takengon in the Gayo highlands and discuss their implications for future development policies. Maps of LUC in 2009 and 2014 showing four categories of land use were obtained from satellite imagery using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). These LUC maps were then used to identify patterns of LUC changes that had occurred from 2009 to 2014 and changes in LUC up until 2028 were predicted with CA-Markov models, using the application of IDRISrSelva. The results indicate that the LUC 2009 and 2014 were dominated by forest cover with an area of 10,064 ha and 8,959 ha respectively. The extent of forest cover decreased by 1,105 ha. The consecutive loss of forest cover will contribute to a decline in the air quality in the region. Laut Tawar Lake did not change significantly as it was well conserved. The built-up areas increased by fifty percent within the five-year period. Non-built-up areas also increased substantially, i.e., by nearly half By using the CA-Markov model, potential changes in LUC up to 2028 were projected.