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cracking clay soils (Ali, 1973; van der Kevie and buraymah, 1976; Alawad, 1991). It is a semi-arid to sub-humid 
climatic area. Commencement, incidence and intensity of rainfall is subject to fluctuation with in the rainy season 
(Musa, 1986). The rainfall characteristic is one of the important factors that influence land use practices and trends of 
development. According to Harrison and Jackson (1958) the natural vegetation in the area was divided into two sub- 
divisions: Acacia mellefra thornland on clay and Acacia Seya-Balanites aegyptica Savannah. Semi mechanized farm 
and grazing (by trans-human nomads) is the main land use systems. 
Gedaref Region has been one of the most active and important areas of the Sudan with promising natural resources. 
Around 1945 the Region had undergone an agricultural development through the introduction of semi-mechanized 
farm. The introduction of semi-mechanization has brought great challenge to the Gedaref Region. The expansion of the 
semi-mechanized farm was at the expense of other land use/land cover categories. The situation aggravated by the 
economic pressures as more people attracted to the area looking for land to cultivate following harmful system of 
practices. As a result the area characterized by severe land degradation. 
3. Condition of map production 
Seen on a world wide economic scale Sudan are economically poor. Sudan hardly in the status to produce 
adequate/essential thematic map series. Even the topographic maps the only available maps dated back to colonial 
period (1935) or at early time of independence (in the 60™). The available thematic maps are not enough for 
conservation and sustainability since there is lack of baseline data about the environmental condition in the past. Both 
classical and sophisticated method of mapping facing constraint in Sudan. The classical methods are costly, business 
driven and time consuming while the lack of equipment, know how and carelessness interfacing with machines hinders 
the uses of the sophisticated methods for mapping. Providing valuable maps for conservation and sustainability can only 
be possible if simple remote sensing cartographic methods and equipment used. Since conservation and resources 
management sustainability relies on reliable information the ecological and environmental condition prevailing in the 
past, multi-date maps is essential. 
4. Objective 
The paper mainly focuses [1] on the uses of the available multi-temporal and multi-resolution remotely sensed data 
interpretation for mapping, inventorying and monitoring land degradation. [2] Assessment of land use/land cover 
changes and their adverse impacts to determine land degradation and [3] mapping of land use/land cover and drainage 
network using simple cartographic methods. 
5. Material and Methodology 
5.1 Material 
To execute the research objectives the following materials were utilized: 
1. Two sets of satellite landsat images covering a time span of 20 years 1973-1993 namely; Set of Multi-Spectral 
Scanner data dated 1973 and the other is Thematic Mapper (TM). The multi temporal landsat images were chosen to 
reflect the past land use/land cover status and help to detect the dynamic changes and trends in land use/land cover 
changes over time as well as drainage system. : = : 
2. Topographic maps at 1:250000 scale served as a source for some supplementary information during interpretation 
and navigation for field verification. ; ; 
3. Field perspective is a requisite for verification of sensed data interpretation and collection of the unseen factors 
causes deforestation. 
The main concepts are to get benefit of the available, low cost, reliable, efficient data sources for mapping and land 
resources monitoring. 
52 Methodology 
A method of various avenues followed for achieving the research objectives. The sensed data analysis for cartography 
development and information analysis comprises the following working area: 
  
  
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 1295