Wetlands are the most productive ecosystem on the planet.Wetland is a region of water-logged soils dominated by emergent Vegetation [1].The zone between permanently wet aquatic and dry terrestrial ecosystems is known as a wetland [2]. Wetlands are crucial for biodiversity because they support numerous species and people's livelihoods. Wetlands are the most dynamic ecosystems since they govern the ecology and are the habitat of many endangered species [3, 4].Wetlands oversee environmental stability, preserving species genetic diversity and resource usage [5]. Wetlands are distinctive because they function as a transitional zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, which helps mitigate climate change's effects [6]. Dugan [7] classified wetlands into seven categories,i.e.,estuarine, open coast, floodplains, freshwatermarshes, lakes, peatlands, and swamp forests. Based on their hydrological, ecological, and geological properties, one of the first commonly used wetland categorization systems classified wetlands as marine estuarine, lacustrine, riverine, and palustrine [8]. According to Ramsar Convention, an international organization for wetlands defines wetlands as "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which atlow tide does not exceed six meters."
Land use and land cover change information is used in local and regional planning. Changes in the earth's surface can occur naturally or due to human activity. We can easily identify the land cover changes using higher-resolution remote sensing data from various periods; land use and land cover are important for understanding the current and past state of the earth's surface [9].Nowadays, land uses land cover analysis plays an important role in environmental science and natural resource management. The Land cover reflects the biophysical state of the earth's surface and immediate surface, including the soil material, vegetation, and water. Land use refers to human beings' utilization of land resources, and land cover changes often reflect the most significant impact on the environment due to excessive human activities. Land use and land cover are dynamic and provide a comprehensive understanding of the interaction and relationship of anthropogenic activities with the environment [10].
India has a diverse spectrum of wetlands ecosystems due to its varying terrain and climatic regimes [11]. In India, about 4.7% of the total geographical area is under wetlands and unevenly distributed in different geographical regions [12]. According to the Directory of Asian Wetlands and the Directory of Indian Wetlands, wetlands cover around 58.3 million hectares in India, and 71 percent of the wetland area is surrounded by paddy fields. The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests (1990) estimated 4.1 million hectares of wetlands, although this did not include mangrove forests. Using satellite data, the Space Applications Centre (SAC) created the first scientific mapping of India's wetlands in 1992–1993. SAC uses the Ramsar Convention definition to identify wetlands, estimating that 7.6 million hectares of land constitute wetlands [13]. Because of a lack of information about wetlands, there are many differences in the definition and characteristics of wetlands [14].Wetland changes in India are a significant issue. India lost 40% of its wetland [15]. Some examples are Chilka Lake in Odisha has lost its wetland area due to pollution, siltation, and encroachment by aquaculture and agricultural activities [16]. Agricultural encroachment and pollution have led to the loss of wetland areas and impacted the habitat of several aquatic species in Loktak Lake of Manipur [17]. A study by Mondal et al. [18] used GIS-based models to estimate wetland shrinkage in the East Kolkata wetlands.
All living things depend on the natural land cover and can significantly affect the environment[19]. Lake and surrounding areas of Rasik Beel Wetland witness a large population of residential and migratory birds. The Rasik Beel water body complex, is changing from aquatic to mesophytic types, which has led to complex terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems [20]. The National Wetland Conservation Program has brought attention to Rasik Beel [21]. To create a sustainable development program that involves land cover and land use, it is very important to have accurate information about the changes that have occurred in the recent past. This information is critical in making decisions and ensuring aneffective program. Although Rasik Beel plays an influential role in its surrounding terrestrial environment, there have been few studies on the changes occurring in the surrounding area of the Rashik Beel wetland complex.To better understand and address social, economic, and environmental problems, it is crucial to analyze and map the current land use and land cover situation of Rasik Beel wetland. The objectives of the present study are to detect the pattern of spatio-temporal changes of Rasik Beel wetlands during 1991–2021 using RS and GIS basedon sustainable resource management.