Abstract:
Batticaloa, one of the fastest-growing cities in Sri Lanka, is the most vital urban agglomeration that
should concentrate on the temporal changes in land use. Seven (7) land use categories, namely
commercial, residential, agricultural, scrubland, mangroves, water bodies, and barren land in
Batticaloa, have changed by the different purposes of utilization. This study aims to identify the landuse changes of the Batticaloa Municipal Council from 1980 to 2018. Primary and secondary data
collection methods were used to gather the data for analysis. Maximum likelihood classification
method was used to interpret the maps. The comparison was made to the various land use categories
in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2018. The temporal pattern of land-use change was presented via a
comparison of those periods of land use maps. ArcGIS 10.4.1 and MS Excel 2013 were used to
interpret the maps and analyze data. The study revealed that there were major land-use changes
identified in the study area between 1980 and 2018. Commercial and residential areas increased by
20.17 ha and 1148.57 ha, respectively. Barren land and agricultural land lost 769.54 ha and 301.99
ha, respectively. The certain extent of rest land use categories was converted into some other land use
category during these periods. The effects of human activities are immediate and often radical, while
the natural effects are relatively long. However, the recommendations are to the future land use
planning, protecting mangrove resources through land-use strategies by the government, community
participation, and encouraging the approval of urban planners to make decisions about urban
development.
