Assessing Spatio-Temporal Changes in the Ecological Livability Index (Case Study: Tabriz Metropolis )

A timely and comprehensive assessment of the urban ecological environment and its evolving trends is essential for urban planning, human habitation, and sustainable urban development. This research aimed to evaluate the spatio-temporal changes and conduct a comparative analysis of the ecological livability index for the years 2003 and 2023 in the metropolis of Tabriz. By utilizing Landsat and MODIS images, we prepared 5 key variables: Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), and Normalized Water Difference Index (NWDI) to calculate the ecological livability index. Data analysis was conducted using ArcGIS Pro, Excel, and Google Earth Engine (GEE). The results derived from the CRITIC method for variable weighting indicated an upward trend in ecological livability. Specifically, the average ecological livability index in 2023 was 1.60 compared to 1.58 in 2003, reflecting an overall improvement in livability quality.