Advancing wildfire monitoring: Remote sensing techniques and applications in the Sana River Basin, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The subject of this research is the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in identifying, monitoring, and analyzing wildfires in the Sana River basin in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2017. The research aims to determine the weather conditions that favor the occurrence of wildfires and their spatial impact on vegetation and to assess the degree of land degradation after the wildfires.

The key findings of the research include the identification of drought periods during 2017 through the SPEI, which "signaled" an increased hazard of wildfires, particularly in July and August. Additionally, using the Angstrom index, the period from July 5 to August 5 was identified as a high-hazard period for wildfires. Monitoring vegetation conditions before and after the wildfires using NDVI, followed by dNDVI, revealed significant changes in the vegetation within the river basin area. Furthermore, a significant contribution of this research is reflected in the analysis of wildfire severity using NBR and dNBR. These indices provided an overview of the wildfire's impact on vegetation by clearly defining areas with varying degrees of damage.