Land-Use Changes in Insular Urban Territories: A Retrospective Analysis from 1990 to 2018. The Case of Madeira Island—Ribeira Brava

As the main island of the Madeira Archipelago, Madeira is faced with a clear demand for more precise and specific planning policies, in order to respond to regional requests. Bearing in mind the urgency of this issue linked to the concept of sustainability, planning strategies must be based on and strengthened by several studies, with the most varied themes, as a way of incisively understanding the problem at hand. Based on tools such as GIS (geographic information systems), this study allows the analysis of variations and patterns of land use and occupancy in the municipality of Ribeira Brava, located on Madeira Island. In a comprehensive manner, the study allows us to highlight the stagnation of the urban fabric of the region and, on the other hand, the change in the dynamics of agricultural cultivation present in the county. In addition, this study highlights the change in the predominant native vegetation in the municipality between the years 1990 and 2018. It is still necessary to emphasize the worrying scenario with the loss of native vegetation due to human activity, which requires more emphatic monitoring by regional government actors to protect, preserve and conserve these landscapes, environments and ecosystems.