ENKELEJD LEKAJ, ZYDI TEQJA
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, ALBANIA
*Corresponing author e-mail: enkelejd.leka@gmail.com,
Abstract
For a long time, people have not seen the necessity of measuring the contribution of nature to public health. Increased stress and sedentary lifestyle, levels of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases, have raised the interest for scientific studies on the relationship between health and nature. The purpose of this study is to analyze the land cover of Tirana Prefecture and its compound categories: agricultural area, artificial surface, forests and semi-natural areas. The main groups of data used in this study are: Maps of land cover for 2006 and 2012; Tirana and its administrative units’ population according to census of 2011; the digital map of the territorial division of the Republic of Albania of 2015. The goal is to create the main independent variables that can link health data with land cover data. For this purpose, GIS techniques were used. Analysis was performed for all public administrative units of Tirana Prefecture. From land cover analysis for 2006 and 2012 resulted that public administration units Tiranë, Kavajë, Paskuqan, Kamëz, Kashar, Farkë, Krrabë, Rrogozhinë, Bërxullë have lower agricultural area for capita (2,700-1,200,000 m2/1000 inhabitant). The biggest changes in forest surface (decrease of more than 600 m2/1000 inhabitants), during the period 2006 to 2012 have occurred in public administration units of Farkë, Kashar, Paskuqan, Synej, Lekaj, Pezë, Tiranë, Golem, Gosë. These results will be used to study the relationship between nature and public health. They could be used also to orient public policies.
Keywords: Land cover, digital map, GIS, public administration unit.
