USING GIS AND REMOTE SENSING IN THE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF DROUGHT ON CHANGES IN FOREST COVER AROUND THE ARAL SEA

Аннотация

This study explores the impact of drought on forest cover changes around the Aral Sea using GIS and remote sensing technologies. Satellite imagery from Landsat and MODIS is analyzed to assess the temporal and spatial changes in forest health, revealing significant deforestation, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the region. The findings highlight the increasing desertification and soil erosion caused by drought, with adverse effects on local biodiversity and ecosystem services. The study underscores the value of GIS and remote sensing in monitoring environmental changes and supporting restoration efforts in the Aral Sea region. Keywords: Aral Sea, forest cover, drought, GIS, remote sensing, desertification, NDVI, restoration. The Aral Sea, once one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water, has undergone dramatic changes over the past several decades. Once a vast and thriving ecosystem, the Aral Sea has shrunk dramatically due to the diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for irrigation purposes. This environmental catastrophe has led to a series of ecological consequences, one of the most significant being the drastic reduction of forest cover around the Aral Sea. Drought, a natural occurrence intensified by human activity, has played a key role in this transformation. By utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies, we can now better understand the extent of forest cover loss and the relationship between this environmental change and the increasingly frequent droughts in the region. The Aral Sea’s shrinking has altered the regional climate, leading to higher temperatures and lower precipitation. These climatic changes, combined with human-induced water scarcity, have put enormous pressure on the ecosystems that once depended on the sea’s water. Forests around the Aral Sea, particularly 94 ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE International scientific-online conference riparian forests, have been hit hardest by this alteration in hydrology. As droughts have become more prolonged and intense, they have caused significant stress on local vegetation, leading to widespread forest dieback [2]. Remote sensing technologies, such as satellite imagery, and GIS tools have provided new opportunities for researchers to study the changes in forest cover around the Aral Sea over time. By using remote sensing data, scientists can monitor vast areas over long periods and detect changes in land cover that may not be immediately visible through traditional ground-based surveys. These tools also enable the analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in vegetation health and forest cover, offering valuable insights into how drought has impacted the area [5]. Satellite data, particularly from Landsat and MODIS satellites, allows for the observation of land cover changes over time. These satellites take images of the Earth's surface at regular intervals, enabling researchers to compare forest cover at different times and assess the impact of drought on these ecosystems. By analyzing these satellite images in conjunction with climate data such as rainfall and temperature, researchers can identify correlations between drought periods and changes in forest cover. One of the key tools used to assess vegetation health is the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which uses satellite imagery to measure the density and health of vegetation. A drop in NDVI values in the Aral Sea region would indicate a decrease in forest health, which can be attributed to water stress caused by drought conditions. Using GIS, these NDVI values can be mapped over time, creating visual representations of forest cover loss. This enables researchers to identify specific areas where drought has had the most significant impact and to track how these areas have changed over time [1]. The results of this analysis reveal a clear and troubling trend: the forest cover around the Aral Sea has diminished drastically over the last few decades. Areas that were once lush with vegetation are now barren, with only scattered patches of surviving trees. The loss of forest cover has been most pronounced in the southern and eastern parts of the Aral Sea Basin, where the effects of water depletion and drought are most severe. This transformation is not only a consequence of natural droughts but also of the region’s water management practices, which have reduced the water supply for local ecosystems. The reduction in forest cover has had a cascading effect on the local environment. Forests provide vital ecosystem services such as soil stabilization, carbon sequestration, and habitat for wildlife. The loss of forest cover has led to 95 ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE International scientific-online conference increased soil erosion, particularly in areas where the vegetation once held the soil in place. As a result, desertification has become a growing problem, with the region’s landscape rapidly transition