| Sumario: | The expansion of built-up areas globally has significantly altered patterns of land use utilisation, leading to the loss of natural habitats and ecosystem degradation. This transformation poses a significant threat to environmental sustainability and human well-being. This study investigates land use patterns, emphasising built-up land expansion in Jorhat district, Assam, India, from 1996 to 2023. Using Landsat satellite imagery and GIS techniques, land use and land cover (LULC) patterns have been analysed and some selected influential drivers of these changes are identified and studied. The results show a significant increase in built-up land areas from 1996 to 2023, leading to a decrease in agricultural land, light vegetation and sandbars. This expansion process has resulted in the loss of natural habitats, fragmentation of the landscape, and alteration of the ecosystem affecting the river bankside areas of the district. Besides, in the case of rapid urbanisation or built-up area expansion in Jorhat city, drastic and spontaneous growth is recorded, arguably affecting temperature and rainfall patterns, drainage and water availability, which needs special attention to alleviate the negative impacts of urban expansion on the environment. The findings of this study can inform urban planners, help in policy decisions and guide future urban development in the region.
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