Dynamics of Land Cover, Development Level, and Regional Typology of Central Java Province Based on Sustainable Development Index

Abstract

The high population of Central Java Province has become a factor triggering the dynamics of land cover change and regional development. Uncontrolled urban expansion and development threatens sustainability. This study aims to identify the types and patterns of land cover change, the level of regional development, the index of sustainable development in environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and the typology of regencies/cities based on the index of sustainable development. This research was conducted in Central Java Province from January to April 2023 using land cover data, village potential data, provincial statistics, and administrative maps. Land-cover changes were identified using overlay analysis in QGIS. The level of regional development was determined using the scalogram. The index of sustainable development was constructed using factor analysis, while the regional typology was identified using cluster analysis. The results showed a dynamic change in forest cover, with a significant decrease from approximately 1 million hectares to 550,000 ha from 2014 to 2019. Agricultural land and built-up areas increased by 312,000 ha and 164,000 ha, respectively. A scalogram analysis indicated an improvement in the regional development index. Sustainability analysis reveals that the sustainability index in the economic dimension is lower than that in the social and environmental dimensions. The cluster analysis indexes that approximately 60.31% of the areas had a low sustainability index. All urban areas have a high sustainability index in the economic and social dimensions, otherwise in the environmental dimension.