The Role of Remote Sensing Data in Assessing Human Impact on the Environment

The article focuses on the application of remote sensing methods to assess the impact of human activities on the environment. Emphasis is placed on the need to accurately monitor anthropogenic impacts, such as deforestation and water pollution, to maintain environmental balance. The Materials and Methods section describes passive and active sensing methods, including infrared imaging, radar sensing, and laser scanning. Passive sensing analyzes the spectral characteristics of objects, which is useful for monitoring vegetation changes, while radar sensing can detect oil spills even in adverse weather conditions. Laser sensing is used for precise measurement of terrain changes. The Results and Discussion section provides examples of practical application of these methods: analysis of deforestation in the Kirov region using Landsat 8 and 9 satellite data, and investigation of an oil spill in Novorossiysk using radar images from the Sentinel-1 satellite. These examples demonstrate the effectiveness of remote sensing for monitoring changes and identifying the negative consequences of human activities. The conclusion highlights the importance of remote sensing as a powerful tool for environmental research and monitoring.