The Algerian steppe has undergone significant land cover changes over the past decades, under the combined influence of human, animal, and climatic factors. This study aims to monitor and manage these dynamics using advanced tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GISs), remote sensing techniques, and machine learning approaches. Two steppe regions in southwestern Algeria—Naâma and Mécheria—were selected as study areas.

The adopted methodology includes characterizing the study area's climate through an aridity index, based on two key climatic variables: temperature and precipitation. A diachronic analysis of land use/land cover changes was conducted using Landsat satellite imagery from 1987 and 2019.

The results reveal a marked increase in sandy areas, which accounted for 46% of the total surface in 2019 compared to 32% in 1987. Conversely, rangelands experienced a significant decrease from 41% to 24% over the same period. This pattern suggests a degradation of grazing lands that has contributed to the encroachment of sandy zones. Agricultural and urban areas remain marginal (less than 1%), as do chotts and reforestation zones, which represent 1.81% and 2% of the total area, respectively, in 2019.

These findings highlight the influence of climatic conditions, particularly temperature and precipitation, on land cover dynamics. This dynamic is interpreted as the result of erosion and sand encroachment processes, particularly affecting the Naâma region