A study was conducted on the impact of military actions on agricultural lands in the Zaporizhzhia region. The relevance of this work is due to the need for monitoring agricultural lands to assess the degree of degradation, the effectiveness of their use, and to develop strategies for optimizing land use. The research was focused on the area near the village of Kamianka, which is an agricultural region where the dynamics of vegetation and soil moisture have a significant impact on crop yields and ecosystems.
The methodology involved using Sentinel-2L2A satellite imagery to assess changes in the state of vegetation and soil moisture. The analysis utilized the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), processed using the Google Earth Engine platform and QGIS software. Data from 2021 (before the intensive military actions) and 2024 (after the damage) were compared.
The results showed a significant decrease in the average NDVI value from 0.53 in 2021 to 0.15 in 2024, which indicates damage or destruction of vegetation. Similarly, the average NDMI value decreased from 0.092 to -0.024, pointing to a substantial reduction in soil moisture levels and their degradation. Visual analysis of the images confirmed the presence of physical damage, such as craters from explosions. This study highlights the effectiveness of remote sensing for monitoring and assessing environmental changes in military conflict zones.
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