Assessing the Impact of Temperature and Rainfall on Forest Cover and Vegetation Dynamics in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar

Abstract

This  research investigates  the relationship between  climatic factors, forest cover, and vegetation dynamics in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, concentrating on   the   years   2015,   2020,   and   2024.   By   employing   GIS   and   remote   sensing methodologies,   such   as   Landsat   8   OLI   satellite  imagery,   NDVI   analysis,  and supervised  classification,  the  study  examines  seasonal  fluctuations  in  forest  cover and  vegetation  during  pre-monsoon  and  post-monsoon  periods.  Temperature  and rainfall  data,  collected  from the  Bangladesh  Agricultural  Research  Council and  the Center   for   Hydrometeorology   and   Remote   Sensing   (CHRS)   Data   Portal,   offer valuable   insights   into   seasonal   climatic   patterns.The   findings   reveal   distinct seasonal   patterns,   with   temperature   exerting   a   more   pronounced   impact   on vegetation    degradation    during    the    pre-monsoon    season,    whereas    rainfall significantly  supports  vegetation  recovery  in  the  post-monsoon  period.  Regression analyses  indicate  a  moderate  to  strong  correlation  between  climatic  variables  and forest  cover  dynamics,  with  temperature  and  rainfall  influencing  forest  health  and NDVI  values  differently.  The  supervised  classification  of  land-use  and  land-cover changes  achieved  high  accuracy,  validated  through  Kappa  tests,  underscoring  the reliability  of  the  methodological  approach.This  study  highlights  the  critical  role  of climatic variables in shaping forest ecosystems and vegetation health, particularly in climate-vulnerable  regions  like  Chakaria.  The  research  underscores  the  need  for sustainable  forest  management  practices  and  evidence-based  policies  to  mitigate climate-induced  challenges  and  ensure  ecological  resilience.  The  integration  of climate  data  with  spatial  analyses  provides  valuable  insights  into  the  impacts  of climate  variability,  offering  a  robust  framework  for  future  studies  aiming  to  predict and manage the effects of environmental change in deltaic regions.