Kathmandu Valley

Rapid Urban Growth in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: Monitoring Land Use Land Cover Dynamics of a Himalayan City with Landsat Imageries

Between 1989 and 2016, the urban area of the Kathmandu Valley expanded by 412%, driven primarily by the conversion of agricultural land. This rapid urban growth, analyzed through a pixel-based hybrid classification of Landsat imagery, reveals a concentric expansion pattern along major roads, significantly altering the valley's cityscape. The study identifies rural-to-urban migration and the centrality of Kathmandu as key proximate causes behind this transformation. While most expansion occurred between 1989 and 2009, urban growth continues, underscoring the need for systematic monitoring of land use and land cover changes in this Himalayan metropolitan valley.