DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND ANALSYSIS OF LAND COVER CHANGES USING REMOTE SENSING DATA: THE CASE OF KĖDAINIAI INDUSTRIAL AREA

Santrauka

The article analyses land cover and land use changes in Kėdainiai district municipality and the Kėdainiai industrial area located within it, assessing the impact of industrial area development on landscape transformation. The study applies statistical and spatial data analysis methods using data from the Land Resource Monitoring Information System, the Georeferenced Base Cadastre, and CORINE Land Cover, processed in a GIS environment. The results show that the agrarian landscape remains dominant in Kėdainiai district municipality, with agricultural land accounting for approximately 65proc. of the territory, however, structural changes are evident: between 2011 and 2025, arable land increased by 3,30proc., while meadows and natural pastures decreased by 34,39proc., and built-up areas increased by 31,38proc., indicating intensifying urbanisation and industrial development. In contrast, the Kėdainiai industrial area is characterised by an urbanised landscape, where built-up areas account for 52proc. of the total area and agricultural land for 21proc.. CORINE Land Cover data revealed that the most significant land cover changes in the municipality occurred during the CHA1990–2000 period, when 7626,50 ha of pastures were transformed into non-irrigated arable land. Meanwhile, land cover change in the industrial area is smaller in scale and mainly related to the development of industrial sites, infrastructure expansion, and waste management areas. The results highlight clear spatial differentiation: at the municipal level, land cover change is primarily driven by agrarian processes, whereas in the industrial area it is driven by urbanisation and industrial infrastructure development.