AN ASSESSMENT OF LAND DEGRADATION IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCE FROM SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING AND COMMUNITY PERCEPTION

ABSTRACT

Assessment of land degradation in developing rural areas of South Africa is often hampered by a lack of reliable data. Physical land features are sparsely mapped, if at all. A cost-effective and time-efficient methodology is needed. Relatively inexpensive time-series analysis of Landsat MSS remote sensing data may offer partial solutions. Remote sensing of vegetation, using vegetation indices such as the soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) are used in the study. These indices give an indication of a general decline in the vegetation environment at district level. Recent developments in the field of desertification and land degradation however suggests that only relying on physical criteria for assessment often leads to misleading results. This case study in the Sekgosese 2 district of the Northern Province proposes a combination of temporal remote sensing and local knowledge of degradation to provide a more accurate assessment methodology. A time-series of SAVI images revealed land degradation taking place. Although there seemed to be some local knowledge about the existence of degradation, most people in the community were unaware of the real causes and effects of land degradation.