Cellular Automata Model of Urbanization in Camiguin, Philippines

Abstract : Monitoring and forecasting land use and change in the Philippines are necessary for urban planning, agricultural mapping, resource allocation and conservation. Land change studies are important in order to guide policymakers, government and private institutions. In this paper, 2-dimensional cellular automata using Markov chains is used to numerically simulate land change in Camiguin, an island province in the Philippines, over a period of 50 years. The preliminary findings of the study identify wooded areas that may be at risk of disappearing. The study also emphasizes the need for updated land cover data in the Philippines in order to improve land use forecasts.