Mapping the environmental footprint of urbanization in Tirana district through NDVI change analysis (2000–2025)
Mapping the environmental footprint of urbanization in Tirana district through NDVI change analysis (2000–2025)

Summary/Abstract: Rapid urbanization has significantly transformed the landscape of Tirana County over the past three decades, reducing natural vegetation and altering land cover composition. This study employs multi-temporal Landsat imagery and the Google Earth Engine platform to quantify vegetation change between 2000 and 2025 through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis. Summer season composites were generated for both years to minimize phenological effects, and NDVI differencing was used to identify areas of significant greenness loss. Additional analysis of the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) allowed the distinction between vegetation decline caused by urban expansion and other land degradation processes. Results indicate a marked decrease in vegetated areas within the Tirana metropolitan region, primarily in the western and southern zones, where built-up surfaces have expanded. In contrast, higher-elevation zones toward Dajti Mountain retained stable vegetation cover. The findings demonstrate the value of cloud-based remote-sensing tools for long-term environmental monitoring and provide evidence of the spatial footprint of urban growth in Albania’s fastest-developing county.

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