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An Assessment of Forest Cover Change and Its Driving Forces in the Syrian Coastal Region during a Period of Conflict, 2010 to 2020

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  • Mohamed Ali Mohamed

    (Department of Geography, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

In Syria, 76% of the forests are located in the Syrian coast region. This region is witnessing a rapid depletion of forest cover during the conflict that broke out in mid-2011. To date, there have been no studies providing accurate, reliable, and comprehensive data on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of forest change dynamics and the underlying drivers behind this change. In this study, changes in the dynamics of forest cover and its density between 2010 and 2020 were detected and analyzed using multi-temporal Landsat images. This study also analyzed the relationship between changes in forest cover and selected physical and socio-demographic variables associated with the drivers of change. The results revealed that the study area witnessed a significant decrease in the total forest area (31,116.0 ha, 24.3%) accompanied by a considerable decrease in density, as the area of dense forests decreased by 11,778.0 ha (9.2%) between 2010 and 2020. The change in forest cover was driven by a variety of different factors related to the conflict. The main drivers were changes in economic and social activities, extensive exploitation of forest resources, frequent forest fires, and weakness of state institutions in managing natural resources and environmental development. Forest loss was also linked to the expansion of cultivated area, increase in population and urban area. Fluctuating climatic conditions are not a major driver of forest cover dynamics in the study area. This decrease in forest area and density reflects sharp shifts in the natural environment during the study period. In the foreseeable future, it is not possible to determine whether the changes in forest cover and its density will be permanent or temporary. Monitoring changes in forest cover and understanding the driving forces behind this change provides quantitative and qualitative information to improve planning and decision-making. The results of this study may draw the attention of decision-makers to take immediate actions and identify areas of initial intervention to protect current the forests of the Syrian coast region from loss and degradation, as well as develop policies for the sustainable management of forest resources in the long term.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Ali Mohamed, 2021. "An Assessment of Forest Cover Change and Its Driving Forces in the Syrian Coastal Region during a Period of Conflict, 2010 to 2020," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-25, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:2:p:191-:d:498984
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mohamed Ali Mohamed & Julian Anders & Christoph Schneider, 2020. "Monitoring of Changes in Land Use/Land Cover in Syria from 2010 to 2018 Using Multitemporal Landsat Imagery and GIS," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-31, July.
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    4. Tola Gemechu Ango & Kristoffer Hylander & Lowe Börjeson, 2020. "Processes of Forest Cover Change since 1958 in the Coffee-Producing Areas of Southwest Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-29, August.
    5. Negasi Solomon & Hadgu Hishe & Ted Annang & Opoku Pabi & Isaac K Asante & Emiru Birhane, 2018. "Forest Cover Change, Key Drivers and Community Perception in Wujig Mahgo Waren Forest of Northern Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Pradeep Baral & Yali Wen & Nadia Nora Urriola, 2018. "Forest Cover Changes and Trajectories in a Typical Middle Mountain Watershed of Western Nepal," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-21, June.
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    8. Mohamed Ali Mohamed, 2020. "Classification of Landforms for Digital Soil Mapping in Urban Areas Using LiDAR Data Derived Terrain Attributes: A Case Study from Berlin, Germany," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-26, September.
    9. Willie Doaemo & Midhun Mohan & Esmaeel Adrah & Shruthi Srinivasan & Ana Paula Dalla Corte, 2020. "Exploring Forest Change Spatial Patterns in Papua New Guinea: A Pilot Study in the Bumbu River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nebras Khadour & Nawarah Al Basha & Máté Sárospataki & Albert Fekete, 2021. "Correlation between Land Use and the Transformation of Rural Housing Model in the Coastal Region of Syria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Hazem Ghassan Abdo & Hussein Almohamad & Ahmed Abdullah Al Dughairi & Motirh Al-Mutiry, 2022. "GIS-Based Frequency Ratio and Analytic Hierarchy Process for Forest Fire Susceptibility Mapping in the Western Region of Syria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.

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