Impact of Mining Ban: Degradation to revival Assessing Forest cover change in Dharbandora Goa

In Recent decades, the forest cover has vulnerable to anthropogenic interventions which has resulted in degradation of forest. Goa, being a part of Western Ghats, a prime biodiversity hotspot, characterized by its unique biodiversity and ecological significance has witnessed dynamic changes in land cover patterns over the past few decades mainly due to infrastructure and development activities, of which mining has been prominent. Therefore, the paper aims to study the effect of mining ban (pre and post) on forest cover by considering two time periods, 2012 and 2022. Remotely sensed data from NRSC IRS LISS III (2012 and 2022) were obtained from Bhoonidhi portal. Image processing techniques, including unsupervised classification, were applied using ERDAS and ArcGIS software to delineate six LULC categories: agricultural land, barren land, built-up areas, natural vegetation, mining zones, and water bodies. Comparative analysis quantified spatial and temporal changes. Unplanned and uncontrolled exploration of mining ore has resulted in degradation of forest resources. The findings reveal substantial shifts in LULC following the mining ban. Natural vegetation increased from 249.07 km² (65.84%) in 2012 to 276.05 km² (72.98%) in 2022, while mining zones declined from 10.11 km² (2.67%) to 2.11 km² (0.55%). Water bodies expanded from 1.32 km² to 6.87 km², indicating ecological restoration. Conversely, agricultural land, barren land, and built-up areas showed declines, reflecting reduced human activity and soil degradation linked to mining. The mining ban in Goa has positively influenced forest recovery and water body revival in Dharbandora taluka