A PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE LAND USE AND LAND COVER CHANGES IN THE ITACAIUNAS RIVER BASIN IN AMAZON, BRAZIL, USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

The Amazon is suffering significant changes to its natural landscape due to human activities, such as mineral extraction and cattle ranching. This study examined land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the Itacaiúnas River Basin (BHRI) in the Eastern Amazon, driven by activities like mining and agriculture. Landsat imagery from 1993 to 2023 was used with several spatial variables and a Random Forest classifier. In addition, scenarios for 2033 and 2043 were made using Cellular Automata and Artificial Neural Networks (CAANN), showing significant forest loss and increasing urban and agricultural areas. Therefore, this study highlights the need for sustainable land management to address deforestation and biodiversity loss in the region, providing valuable insights for conservation planning.