Monitoring Changes in Rice Cultivation Area using Multi-Temporal Satellite images (Case Study: Beiranshahr Region, Iran)

The cultivation of crops with high water demand in arid and semi-arid regions can seriously threaten water resources. In the Beiranshahr region, western Iran, based on various factors, including high profit and short growing seasons, the desire of farmers to cultivate rice has increased in recent years. This research was conducted to investigate the expansion of rice cultivation area from 2013 to 2021 in this region. For this purpose, using Landsat 8 and Sentinel 1 satellite images, the changes in the area under rice cultivation in this area were determined. Using the groundwater data from Lorestan Regional Water, a change in the water table level was determined. The results showed that the area under rice cultivation has increased from 2,564 hectares in 2013 to 4,771 hectares in 2021. Investigating the underground water level showed that the depth of the water in some parts of the region has reached 10 meters, while in the past, the depth of the underground water in this region was less than 2 meters. These results show that increasing the planting of rice in this region can endanger the water resources of the region, and in the long term, the region will face serious challenges. Therefore, it is recommended to limit rice cultivation in the region and cultivate crops with less water demand instead. The development of pressurized irrigation systems in the region can help save water consumption.