Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Environmental Sciences

Analysis of the Spatial Relationship between Visceral Leishmaniasis and Environmental Factors using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (Case study: Kalaybar and Khoda-Afarin)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of remote sensing and Geographic Information System, Faculty of Geography and Environmental Science, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran.

2 PhD. of GIS. Official expert of the center of lawyers in the official experts of East Azarbaijan province. Tabriz, Iran

3 Professor. Department of climatology, Faculty of Planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz. Tabriz, Iran.

4 Department of Remote Sensing and GIS. Faculty of Planning and Environmental Sciences. University of Tabriz

10.22034/rsgi.2025.61996.1091

Abstract

Identifying the factors affecting a phenomenon and their degree of influence and producing the zoning maps of that phenomenon require higher precision. Currently, the zoning maps of these phenomena are produced based on the empirical relationships and these maps are generally prepared for large statistical cells such as the county and are used in regional planning, but due to the small scale and the lack of accuracy, these maps are not used in implementation operations. In this research, the effect of geographical factors on the phenomenon is called "spatial behavior". Spatial behavior expresses the effect coefficients of environmental factors on the phenomenon. Different spatial inference methods were tested, and a new method based on classification of satellite imagery in remote sensing was implemented to prepare the spatial behavior of the parasitic VL disease on a larger scale of Kalaybar and Khoda-Afarin. The factors affecting the disease were considered composite image bands and the disease prevalence were used as training data. Geographical factors known to be effective on the VL disease include climate factors (average temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity), topography (altitude, slope, aspect, distance from the river), socio-economic factors (access to facilities in the village), dog density, human factors (age and sex of the group involved in the disease), and vegetation index. According to the results of the spatial behavior, the factors affecting the disease in order of priority are rainfall, relative humidity, temperature, dog density, aspect, slope, vegetation index, access to facilities, distance from the river, and elevation.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Objective: Identifying the factors affecting a phenomenon and their degree of influence and producing the zoning maps of that phenomenon require higher precision. Currently, the zoning maps of these phenomena are produced based on the empirical relationships and these maps are generally prepared for large statistical cells such as the county and are used in regional planning, but due to the small scale and the lack of accuracy, these maps are not used in implementation operations.

Methods: In this research, the effect of geographical factors on the phenomenon is called "spatial behavior or signature". Spatial behavior expresses the effect coefficients of environmental factors on the phenomenon. Different spatial inference methods were tested, and a new method based on classification of satellite imagery in remote sensing was implemented to prepare the spatial behavior of the parasitic VL disease on a larger scale of Kalaybar and Khoda-Afarin regions. The factors affecting the disease were considered composite image bands, and the disease prevalence areas were used as training data. Geographical factors known or suspected to be effective on the VL disease include average temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, elevation, slope, aspect, distance from the river, access to facilities in the village, dog density, age and sex of human of the group involved in the disease, and vegetation index.

Results: According to the results of the spatial behavior, the factors affecting the disease in order of priority are rainfall, relative humidity, temperature, dog density, aspect, slope, vegetation index, access to facilities, distance from the river, and elevation.

Conclusions: Using the spatial behavior method removes the need for survey specialists, and it depends on the individual to produce a zoning map for each phenomenon. Also, experimental and variable opinions are avoided. Besides, in planning and making decisions to solve any problem, the production zoning maps are more efficient than the previous maps due to their accuracy.

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Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Environmental Sciences
Volume 4, Issue 13
February 2025
Pages 40-23
  • Receive Date: 01 August 2024
  • Revise Date: 03 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 29 January 2025