Article
Aleksandar Valjarević 1,2
(1) University of Belgrade, Faculty of Geography, Studentski Trg 3/III, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
(2) Faculty of Education, University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Semberskih ratara 1E, Bjeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Correspondence: aleksandar.valjarevic@gef.bg.ac.rs
Citation: Valjarević A, 2026, GIS-Driven Mapping of Urbanization and Industrialization Pressures on River Basins and Environmental Degradation, Environment & Science,1(1), 32–46, https://doi.org/10.66278/YLKO3087
Received: 17 December 2025; Revised: 25 January 2026; Accepted: 19 February 2026; Published: 4 April 2026
Abstract: This study uses an integrated GIS and remote sensing framework to evaluate how these combined drivers influence river systems and surrounding environmental quality over the period 1983–2025. A multi-temporal geodatabase was compiled to capture urban expansion patterns, industrial and mining site distribution, land-use change, and hydrological characteristics of river networks. Hydrological analysis focused on drainage density, tributary persistence, and network connectivity as indicators of the functional capacity of river basins to convey, dilute, and naturally attenuate pollutants. The spatial results indicate a broad tendency toward simplified river morphology and reduced network complexity in several basins, expressed through declining drainage density and contraction of smaller tributaries. These changes are environmentally important because the loss of headwater channels and minor streams weakens dispersion and retention processes, increasing the likelihood that contaminants remain concentrated within main channels and propagate downstream during both low-flow and high-runoff events. Pollution pressure is associated with multiple sources, including heavy metals and suspended solids linked to mining and metallurgy, petrochemical and industrial residues near production zones, untreated or insufficiently treated municipal wastewater, and diffuse agricultural runoff carrying nutrients and pesticides. Hotspot screening and spatial overlay identify persistent clusters of elevated environmental stress in the Danube–Sava–Morava corridor, where dense urban-industrial infrastructure coincides with hydrologically sensitive river reaches, and in the Nišava–Timok region, where mining legacies amplify local contamination risk. remote sensing indicators further suggest riparian stress in selected reaches, consistent with cumulative pollution exposure and altered hydrological conditions. The findings support a basin-scale management response that combines infrastructure upgrades and stricter regulation with continuous spatial monitoring. Priority measures include expanding wastewater collection and treatment capacity, enforcing industrial discharge limits, improving containment and remediation of mine waste, and integrating routine field sampling with GIS-based risk mapping. The results provide practical guidance for identifying priority river basins where urban industrial pressures require immediate management intervention. The findings also support the use of GIS-based monitoring as a decision-support tool for improving river basin planning, pollution control, and sustainable water resource management. By linking sources, pathways, and changing river-network capacity, the approach provides practical evidence base for targeted interventions and more sustainable river basin governance.
Keywords: GIS; remote sensing; industrialization; river basin degradation; Serbia; urbanization; water quality hotspots