Spatiotemporal dynamics of land use/land cover and its environmental implications in the kantché department (zinder region, niger) using landsat time series (2007–2025)

Background: Land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics serve as a major indicator of environmental transformations in Sahelian regions subject to increasing anthropogenic pressure. Objective(s): This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use and its environmental implications in the Kantché department (Zinder region, Niger) between 2007 and 2025 using Landsat time series. Methods: Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8 OLI, and Landsat 9 OLI-2 images acquired in December 2007, 2016, and 2025 were processed using ArcGIS 10.8.2. Following preprocessing, a supervised classification based on the Maximum ikelihood algorithm was performed to produce LULC maps, estimate class areas, and evaluate transitions via post-classification comparison. Results: The results reveal a marked transformation of the landscape over the past eighteen years. Cultivated lands increased from 86,070 ha (39.24%) in 2007 to 124,997 ha (57.80%) in 2025, representing a net gain of 38,927 ha (+45.2%). Conversely, fallow lands decreased from 101,128 ha (46.11%) to 48,706 ha (22.52%), corresponding to a net loss of 52,422 ha (−51.8%). Built-up areas expanded significantly, while rocky outcrops and bare soils overall increased. Riparian vegetation, wetlands, and water bodies exhibited more mixed dynamics. These changes reflect growing anthropisation, which is likely to exacerbate soil degradation, vegetation cover decline, and hydrological ecosystem disruptions. Conclusions: This study confirms the value of Landsat time series for diachronic LULC monitoring and provides essential data for sustainable natural resource management, ecosystem conservation, and land-use planning in the Kantché department.