Burned Area Mapping Based on KazEOSat 1 Satellite Datasets

Abstract

Forest fires are common occurrences in Kazakhstan, particularly from June until September, and damage the country’s forest resources extensively. The mapping of burned areas is crucial for fire management, to implement the proper mitigation strategies and restoration actions following the fire season. The mapping of burned areas enables a thorough evaluation of the damage caused by fires to forests. The unique characteristics of forest plants and soil are dramatically altered by the fire’s destruction, leading to a dramatic shift in reflectance. The destruction caused by fires can be mitigated, and vegetation can be replanted, with the use of maps depicting the affected areas. The accurate and timely mapping of burned areas is critical for fire prevention methods such as planning, mitigation, and vegetation regeneration. The country Kazakhstan launched two satellites, KazEOSat 1 and KazEOSat 2, as part of the Earth Remote Sensing Satellite System (ERSSS) for the management of natural resources and monitoring. The KazEOSat 1 is a high-resolution observation satellite, launched in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 630 km, consisting of four spectral bands (4 m) and a very high panchromatic (1 m) band. In this study, KazEOsat 1 satellite datasets were used to map the burned areas in various parts of Kazakhstan. Three different spectral indices, viz., the Global Environmental Monitoring Index (GEMI), Ashburn Vegetation Index (AVI), and Burn Area Index (BAI), are used and the findings are compared to the best burnt area discrimination index using the KazEOsat 1 satellite datasets. The results show that the BAI shows a higher accuracy than the other indices at mapping the burnt area using the KazEOsat 1 satellite datasets.

Keywords

• burned area
• KazEOsat 1 satellite
• GEMI
• AVI
• BAI