Land Use Change and Prediction for Valuating Carbon Sequestration in Viti Levu Island, Fiji

Ram Avtar (), Apisai Vakacegu Rinamalo, Deha Agus Umarhadi, Ankita Gupta, Khaled Mohamed Khedher, Ali P. Yunus, Bhupendra P. Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Netrananda Sahu and Anjar Dimara Sakti
Additional contact information
Ram Avtar: Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Apisai Vakacegu Rinamalo: Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Deha Agus Umarhadi: Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
Ankita Gupta: Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Khaled Mohamed Khedher: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
Ali P. Yunus: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali 140306, India
Bhupendra P. Singh: Department of Environmental Studies, Deshbandhu College (Delhi School of Climate Change & Sustainability, Institute of Eminence), Delhi University, New Delhi 110021, India
Pankaj Kumar: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Hayama 240-0115, Japan
Netrananda Sahu: Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110007, India
Anjar Dimara Sakti: Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Sciences Research Group, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132, Indonesia

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: This study examines land use changes and evaluates the past and projected forest carbon sequestration and its valuation in Viti Levu Island, Fiji, through a combination of remote sensing with a geospatial-based modeling approach. Land use classification was performed using Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 imageries of the years 2000 and 2020; then, cellular automata and artificial neural network (CA-ANN) modeling was conducted to predict the land use map of 2040. Carbon sequestration and the economic valuation were estimated using the land use maps of the past, present, and future (2000, 2020, and 2040) within the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystems Trade-off (InVEST) model. The results showed that deforestation occurred during the past two decades, and the forest area was predicted to keep decreasing in 2040, with the major contribution from the conversion to the agricultural area. Local communities’ perceptions confirmed that the forest conversion to croplands would persist due to the demand for fertile lands. This study estimated a loss of −7.337 megatonnes of forest carbon (Mt C) with an economic loss of USD −1369.38 million during 2000–2020 due to deforestation. If the business-as-usual scenario does not change in the near future, a potential carbon loss of −7.959 Mt C is predicted in the upcoming 20 years. The predicted results can be used to assist as a reference in establishing a national baseline and reference level for implementing the REDD+ mechanism in Fiji and sustainably managing the limited pristine forest by implementing forest-related programs.

Keywords: carbon sequestration; land use change; land use prediction; carbon stock valuation; REDD+; Fiji (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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