Analyzing Ecological Environmental Quality Trends in Dhaka Through Remote Sensing Based Ecological Index (RSEI)
by 
, and
Md. Mahmudul Hasan
1,*,Md Tasim Ferdous
1,Md. Talha
1,Pratik Mojumder
2,Sujit Kumar Roy
3,Md. Nasim Fardous Zim
4,Most. Mitu Akter
1,N M Refat Nasher
1,Fahdah Falah Ben Hasher
5,Martin Boltižiar
6,7 andMohamed Zhran
8,*1
Department of Geography & Environment, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100, Bangladesh
2
Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
3
Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
4
Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5404, Bangladesh
5
Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
6
Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Regional Development, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
7
Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS Bratislava, Branch Nitra, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
8
Public Works Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Land 2025, 14(6), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14061258
Submission received: 22 March 2025 / Revised: 6 June 2025 / Accepted: 10 June 2025 / Published: 11 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS for Land Use Change Assessment)
Abstract
Assessing the ecological environmental quality (EEQ) is crucial for protecting the environment. Dhaka’s rapid, unplanned urbanization, driven by economic and social growth, poses significant eco-environmental challenges. Spatiotemporal ecological and environmental quality changes were assessed using remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) maps derived from Landsat images (1993, 2003, 2013, and 2023). RSEI was based on four indicators—greenness (NDVI), heat index (LST), dryness (NDBSI), and wetness (LSM). Landsat 5 TM and 8 OLI/TIRS images were processed on Google Earth Engine (GEE), with principal component analysis (PCA) applied to determine RSEI. The findings showed a decline in the overall RSEI (1993–2023), with low- and very low-quality areas increasing by about 39% and high- and very high-quality areas decreasing by 24% of the total area. NDBSI and LST were negatively correlated with RSEI, except in 1993, while NDVI and LSM were generally positive but negative in 1993. The global Moran’s I (0.88–0.93) indicated strong spatial correlation in the distribution of EEQ across Dhaka. LISA cluster maps showed high-high clusters in the northeast and east, while low-low clusters were concentrated in the northwest. This research examines the degradation of ecological conditions over time in Dhaka and provides valuable insights for policymakers to address environmental issues and improve future ecological management.