Monitoring Amu Darya river channel dynamics using remote sensing data in Google Earth Engine

River morphological dynamics result from processes involving discharge flow, debris and sediment transport, channel migration, and floodplain erosion and accretion. Understanding the river channel dynamics is an essential component of the development of the most environmentally acceptable and sustainable fluvial projects. In this study, part of the Amu Darya river channel dynamics using remote sensing data have been investigated. For this purpose, satellite imagery from four different periods ten years apart (1990-2000, 2000-2011, 2011-2020), have been used to map and monitor the dynamics of the river over the last three decades. The classification of the images was conducted in Google Earth Engine (GEE) using Landsat imagery. In addition to the river mapping and monitoring, a land cover change detection in the study area has been made. The results showed that the increase in irrigated areas, in the four specified periods was significant and played an important role in increasing the vulnerability of the study area to soil erosion which leads to river channel dynamics. The results showed that the use of Landsat and GEE can be a significant source of updated data for mapping and monitoring river dynamics, with a classification accuracy of the water areas higher than 90%. For future studies, we recommend using satellite imagery with a higher spatial and spectral resolution, like Sentinel.