A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1995

Rapid urban growth in most countries has been characterized by significant land use changes in the areas surrounding the cities. The Northern Corridor of Bangkok Metropolitan Region is one example of this. The lack of up-to-date information on trends in land use changes obstruct effective planning in such areas. Multi-sensor data such as Landsat, SPOT, and ERS-1 SAR images were analyzed for land use inventory and settlement change detection. Multi-temporal ERS-1 SAR images and meteorological data were used to monitor the environment change in the "green belt" of Bangkok. Some techniques for data fusion of different sensor imagery are developed and implemented using the SPOT and ERS-1 SAR images. The results of the classification of these images are evaluated by fieldchecks and local land information that provide a satisfactory accuracy of land use identification and monitor the physical development of the region. The research demonstrates a complete approach of combining multi-sensor satellite image with GIS analysis to intensively extract urgently needed information as a powerful tool for regional planners.