The Presence of Rice Fields Amid Urban Expansion in a Medium-Sized City: A Case Study of the Surakarta Suburban Area

Abstract

Urban expansion has become the most significant threat to rice fields, particularly in medium-sized cities. Surakarta is a medium-sized city experiencing rapid growth, surrounded by regencies that are also undergoing urban expansion. This study aims to investigate the presence of rice fields under the pressures of urban expansion dynamics over a 32-year multitemporal period covering 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2022. This research utilized remote sensing data processed through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Supervised classification was applied to identify land cover over the 32-year period, including the extent of rice fields. The average annual urban expansion rate (AUER) and urban expansion intensity index (UEII) analyses were used to determine urban expansion’s magnitude, speed, and direction. This study found that the most significant and fastest rate of urban expansion in Surakarta City occurred between 2020 and 2022. The results also showed that areas adjacent to the urban core (Surakarta City) experienced greater expansion speed than areas located farther away. Urban expansion pressure also resulted in a 40% loss of rice fields, with Klaten District experiencing the greatest loss. Maintaining rice fields in peri-urban areas can provide dual benefits by supplying rice for the city while preserving the local ecosystem. The dynamics of urban expansion in the Surakarta urban agglomeration, as revealed by this research, are essential for sustainable spatial planning in the region.