The short term change of mangrove area and sand spit in Kelantan Delta using remote sensing and gis

Abstract

Remote sensing and GIS are commonly used tools in coastal zone management, forestry and land use planning. This research contributes to the monitoring of short term shoreline changes in Kelantan Delta using remote sensing and GIS. The area can be interpreted from three multi-date SPOT satellite images. The shoreline movement can be determined especially at the sand spit formation within Kelantan Delta. Processes of erosion, deposition and transportation of sediment occurring throughout the years contribute to the unstable formation of sand spits and islands within the Kelantan Delta. Between 1989 and 2000 the sand spits in Kelantan Delta moved at a distance about 13.00 meters per year and islands within Kelantan Delta experienced low mutable changes which were less than 1.00 meter per year. Mangrove forest depleted around 140.00 hectares between 1988 and 2000 and already reduced the species distribution.