Analysis of the condition of coastal strips along the Sovytsia Stavchanska and Sovytsia Kitsmanska rivers and their role in preserving the quality of water bodies

The article deals with the problem of implementation of the regulatory provision established by the Water and Land Codes of Ukraine regarding coastal protection strips. This problem has several aspects: practical, legal, scientific and hydrological. The problem is analysed by comparing the actual free protective strips with potential coastal protective strips, the position of which was determined taking into account the location of the indigenous shores. The research objects are the Stavchanska and Kitsmanska rivers. The analysis was carried out using GIS technologies and technologies for analysing remote sensing data. It was found that in the Sovytsia Kitsmanska basin, only 39.5 % of the ponds met the legal requirements for a coastal protection zone, while in the Sovytsia Stavchanska basin, this compliance was 44.5 %. Between 2018 and 2024, the condition of the area around the ponds changed significantly. In the Sowytsia Kitsmanska river basin, only 24 % of the ponds were found to meet the requirements of the riparian protection zone legislation, while in the Sowytsia Stawczanska river basin, the figure was 39.5 %. This indicates a progressive decrease in the compliance of the riparian protection zone of ponds in both basins. The analysis of spectral images of the ponds using Sentinel-2 confirmed the problems with the ecological condition. In particular, the images showed siltation and eutrophication of the ponds, which can have a serious impact on the water resources and biodiversity of the region.