Evaluating the dynamics of forest fires using Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies: Case study forests of the Lattakia region

Abstract

Forest fires, with their sudden and devastating nature, pose immense threats to both natural ecosystems and human communities in a changing climate. In this regard, assessing and monitoring burned areas is a critical step in developing sustainable forest management measures. Because traditional forest fire monitoring is time-consuming and inaccurate, this problem must be addressed using remote sensing technologies. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of burned forest sites and the severity of disturbance caused by fires in 2007 and 2015-2020 in the Lattakia region of Lattakia Governorate, Syria, using Landsat satellite image archives and spectral indices data. The study results indicate that during the period under study, approximately 8,230.74 hectares of forest area were burned in the Lattakia region, including 5,290.15 hectares of forest cover in 2020 alone. The study also demonstrated the recurrence of forest fires in the same location. The accuracy of the data obtained was verified using modern standards for geographic information statistics. This study can be used to develop effective preventive a by identifying the locations most vulnerable to forest fires.