Exploring the spatio-temporal dynamics of ecosystem health: A study on a rapidly urbanizing metropolitan area of Lower Gangetic Plain, India

Abstract The assessment of Ecosystem Health (EH) is crucial for effective ecosystem services (ES) management and global environmental change assessment. This study aims to assess the spatio-temporal EH in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) from 2000 to 2019, based on the Vigor-Organization-Resilience (VOR) model. Vigor, Organization, and Elasticity were assessed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), landscape matrices, land use and land cover (LULC) data. Local Moran’s I and Coefficient of Variation (CV) was applied to assess EH’s spatial pattern. The results showed that from 2000 to 2019, built-up areas increased by 90%. In contrast, vegetation cover decreased by approximately 57%. EH decreased from 2000 (0.62) to 2019 (0.38). Good EH decreased from 2000 to 2019, 73% to 52%, respectively. Whereas, weak EH increased to 21% in this period. Also, the spatial variability increased from 23% to 56% between 2000 and 2019, respectively. The deterioration of EH in KMA is attributed to the rapid urban expansion and vegetation cover decrease. Therefore, EH needs to be integrated into the decision-making framework for better and sustainable ecosystem management.