Accuracy Assessment of Land Use Land Cover Classification Using Machine Learning Classifiers in Google Earth Engine; A Case Study of Jammu District

Abstract

LULC (Land Use and Land Cover) involves classifying and describing different land types and their usage. Using satellite imagery for LULC mapping is increasing in remote sensing. This study focuses on Jammu district in India, situated between mountain ranges from north and south make it eco-sensitive zone. Expanding of human activity and loss of natural resources make it vulnerable if mismanaged. Study of LULC is important because of it and this study deals with efficiency and accuracy of various machine learning classifiers for LULC. This study uses machine learning classifiers - Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gradient Boosted Trees (GTB), and Classification and Regression Trees (CART) - for the task, leveraging Google Earth Engine (GEE). Sentinel-2 satellite data from January 1 to March 31, 2023, with specific spectral bands (B4, B3, B2 & B8, B4, B3), were used for image preprocessing. Six classes: built-up, water, agricultural land, fallow land, forest, and barren land, each with 100 sample points, were used for classification. After training, the classifiers' accuracy was evaluated using Overall Accuracy and Kappa Coefficient. The results showed RF as the top performer with an overall accuracy of 99.36% and a Kappa coefficient of 99.11%, followed by SVM, GTB, and CART. This highlights the effectiveness of machine learning classifiers, especially RF and SVM, in accurately mapping LULC patterns in Jammu district, suggesting RF's potential as a reliable tool for remote sensing-based LULC mapping.