Assessing built-up surface dynamics in the Ticino River Basin using multi-source LU/LC datasets: A preliminary comparative study within the INTERREG WINCA4TI project

• Published in: The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
• Main Authors: L. D’Ambrosio, M. Cannata, D. Strigaro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-07-01
• Online Access: https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/XLVIII-4-W13-2025/95/2025/isprs-archives-XLVIII-4-W13-2025-95-2025.pdf

This study developed within the INTERREG VI-A Italy–Switzerland project WINCA4TI (Water Interactions with Nature, Climate, and Agriculture for the Ticino Hydrographic Basin), investigates land use and land cover (LU/LC) changes focusing on builtup surface evolution in the Swiss portion of the Ticino watershed. LU/LC data are essential for tracking environmental change, modeling nutrient flows, and guiding sustainable land management. We analyzed and compared three key LU/LC datasets available for Switzerland: the national Arealstatistik, the European CORINE Land Cover (CLC), and the Ticino Cantonal Land Cover Cadastre. These datasets differ in spatial resolution, classification systems, and acquisition methodologies. Data were harmonized regarding the coordinate system, spatial extent, and thematic classification to ensure consistency. The study focused on the ”built-up surfaces” category defined in the MODIFFUS 3.1 nutrient model. The analysis used open-source tools, such as QGIS and open data, ensuring a reproducible and transferable workflow. Results reveal significant discrepancies in the absolute values and temporal trends of built-up surfaces, depending on the dataset used. While Cadastre and Arealstatistik yield similar estimates when filtered for building-related categories, CORINE reports higher values, reflecting its suitability for national-scale analysis but limited precision in smaller, alpine regions. The findings emphasize the importance of dataset selection and class harmonization in LU/LC-based analyses, especially for integration into environmental models like MODIFFUS. This preliminary work lays the foundation for a broader comparison involving all land use categories. It supports future modeling of diffuse nutrient loads and climate adaptation strategies across the transboundary Ticino basin.