A Spatial Analysis of Agricultural Land Loss Across the Urban–Rural Gradient: Applying DEGURBA in Butuan City, Philippines (2010–2020)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54610/jeseg.v7i2.197Keywords:
Agricultural Land Cover Change, Dasymetric Mapping, Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA), Urban-Rural Gradient, UrbanizationAbstract
Urban expansion is a major driver of agricultural land loss in rapidly developing cities. In the Philippines, urbanization is accelerating not only in metropolitan centers but also in secondary and intermediate cities, contributing to the conversion of productive agricultural land. Traditional urban–rural classifications based on administrative boundaries are often inadequate for capturing the complex, fragmented, and transitional nature of urban growth. This study addresses this limitation through a decadal (2010–2020) spatial analysis of agricultural land cover change, using Butuan City, Philippines, as an illustrative case within the Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) framework. Leveraging government-produced land cover maps derived from satellite remote sensing and implementing a dasymetric DEGURBA approach based on Google Open Buildings and barangay-level census data, we quantified agricultural land change across urban centers, urban clusters, and rural areas. Results show a total loss of approximately 49.8 km² (9.6%) of agricultural land over the decade, with the most significant reductions occurring in urban clusters, which are transitional zones under increasing urban pressure. While rural areas retained most of the agricultural land, they also showed signs of encroachment along expanding urban fringes. The case of Butuan City illustrates how combining standardized urban–rural typologies with fine-resolution geospatial data enables more consistent assessments of land-use transitions. This integrative framework can be applied globally to enhance monitoring of agricultural land dynamics and to support evidence-based strategies for sustainable urban and regional planning.
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