Assessment of Changes in Vegetation Index Using Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing of Num UN Basin Area, Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand

Flora is crucial for environmental stabilization on a global scale. It is essential to have accurate information on the flora condition achieved by using various methods to address ecological issues. An innovative technique that supports evaluating flora cover change is the Normalized difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The primary aim of this manuscript was to evaluate flora monitoring utilizing a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS)in the Num Un Basin Area, Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand, by using NDVI. The study used satellite images from 1987 and 2017 to show the flora cover changes using NDVI. For 1987 and 2017, NDVI indicators such as (NDVI changes minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation) were calculated. According to the current study, the highest NDVI values had dropped from 0.71 in 1987 to 0.55 in 2017. In 1987, the NDVI's minimum value was −0.49; in 2017, it was −0.27. Additionally, the mean and standard deviation values declined from 0.33 in 1987 to 0.27 in 2017 and from 0.18 in 1987 to 0.13 in 2017, respectively. The outcome indicated that compared to 1987, in 2017, there was a reduction in the mean flora cover. This resulted from increased deforestation rates, which were a result of rising population pressure. To mitigate the negative consequences of land use and cover change, policy modifications are required to increase agricultural production per unit area and flora cover through diverse forest restoration initiatives (afforestation and reforestation).