AI-BASED SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF FOREST RESOURCES IN THE KARABAKH ECONOMIC REGION IN AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to assess the spatial distribution of forest resources in the Karabakh Economic Region using AI-assisted geospatial analysis and to evaluate the implications of identified spatial disparities for sustainable regional development and forest resource management. The paper investigates the spatial distribution of forest resources in the Karabakh Economic Region of Azerbaijan using AI-based geospatial analysis. The study highlights significant regional disparities in forest coverage, with the total forest area in the region amounting to 139,495.34 hectares, of which 34,616 hectares (24.82%) were directly studied. The overall forest coverage in the region is 13.96%, which is 1.46-2.46 percentage points higher than the national average. The analysis reveals that districts such as Aghdara (43.47%), Khojavand (25.79%), and Khojali (22.78%) have substantial forest resources, while districts like Aghjabadi, Aghdam, Barda, Fuzuli, and Tartar contribute only 2.5% of the region’s total forest cover. These findings underline the need for targeted interventions to address the uneven distribution of forest resources, promoting balanced and sustainable development across the region. The study employs open-spatial data extracted via Overpass Turbo, combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted spatial processing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based area calculations. The study contributes to sustainability-oriented decision-making by demonstrating how open data and artificial intelligence can support balanced environmental and socio-economic development.