Airborne remote sensing activities in Albania for multitemporal vegetation monitoring

This paper focuses the surveying and processing protocol developed by the CRdC Benecon Scarl/Dipartimento di Architettura e Disegno Industriale Luigi Vanvitelli of the Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli in conjunction with the Gruppo Esplorazione Aeromarittima of the Guardia di Finanza. This heterogeneous team operates several instruments and aeronautical configurations, integrating active and passive remote sensing instruments. Data processing is adapted to the different morphology and land use/cover of the imaged areas. In urban areas, the spectral angle mapped algorithm is used against a collection of Cannabis reflectance spectra collected in field activities. In forested areas, images are classified along with topography and hydrographical information. The operational protocol was developed and adopted towards the activities conducted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 in Albania for the identification of Cannabis cultivations. The imaged area summed to approximately 990 km(2) in 2012, 3618 km(2) in 2013 and 4313 km(2) in 2014. At the end of the missions, the remote sensing activities affected more than 15.08% of the area of the Country.