Uncovering Anthropogenic Changes in Small- and Medium-Sized River Basins of the Southwestern Caspian Sea Watershed: Global Information System and Remote Sensing Analysis Using Satellite Imagery and Geodatabases
2025
Vladimir Tabunshchik | Aleksandra Nikiforova | Nastasia Lineva | Roman Gorbunov | Tatiana Gorbunova | Ibragim Kerimov | Abouzar Nasiri | Cam Nhung Pham
This study investigates the anthropogenic transformation of small- and medium-sized river basins within the Caspian Sea catchment. The basins of seven rivers&mdash:Sunzha, Sulak, Ulluchay, Karachay, Atachay, Haraz, and Gorgan&mdash:were selected as key study areas. For both the broader Caspian region, particularly its southwestern sector, and the selected study sites, trends in land cover types were analyzed, natural resource use practices were assessed, and population density dynamics were examined. Furthermore, a range of indices were calculated to quantify the degree of anthropogenic transformation, including the coefficient of anthropogenic transformation, the land degradation index, the urbanity index, the degree of anthropogenic transformation, coefficients of absolute and relative tension of the ecological and economic balance, and the natural protection coefficient. The study was conducted using geoinformation research methods and sets of geodata databases&mdash:the global LandScan population density database, the GHS Population Grid database, the ESRI land cover type dynamics database, and OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. The analysis was performed using the geoinformation programs QGIS and ArcGIS, and a large amount of literary and statistical data was additionally analyzed. It is shown that within the studied region, there has been a decrease in the number and density of the population, as a result of which the territories of river basins are experiencing an increasing anthropogenic impact, the woody type of land cover is decreasing, and the agricultural type is increasing. The most anthropogenically transformed river basins are Karachay, Haraz, and Gorgan.
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