Assessment of the ecological environment quality of the city of setif based on remote sensing ecological index

Abstract

The study focuses on the quality of the ecological environment in the city of Sétif, Algeria, examining the impacts of growing urbanization and human activities on the local ecosystem. The problem is studied due to increasing concerns about air pollution, wastewater management, deforestation, desertification, and ecosystem degradation in the region,The analysis uses remote sensing techniques, with Landsat satellite images from 1991, 2008, and 2023 to extract environmental assessment indicators such as NDVI (vegetation), WET (humidity), LST (surface temperature), and NDBSI (dryness). These indicators are integrated into the Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI) to objectively and quantitatively evaluate environmental changes over a 32-year period,The results reveal that urbanization has a significant negative impact on the environment, with an increase in surface temperatures and degradation due to the expansion of infrastructure. However, improvements in vegetation cover and soil moisture were observed, mainly due to the integration of urban green spaces and water systems, although these improvements do not fully offset the negative effects of urbanization. The spatiotemporal data indicates an overall deterioration in ecological quality, with increased fragmentation of ecological istribution,Field observations confirm these results, identifying areas of environmental decline, notably around the industrial zone and agricultural lands. The findings underscore the need for more integrated and sustainable urban management strategies to preserve and improve ecological quality in Sétif. Proactive measures are required to balance economic development with environmental preservation, considering anthropogenic pressures and environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change.