THE IMPACTS OF THE OIL INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT ON THE VEGETATION COVER IN THE OIL PRODUCTION AREAS IN WESTERN KORDOFAN STATE, SUDAN

The oil industry's development follows a series of steps and processes, including exploration, drilling, and oil infrastructure, which affect vegetation in different ways. This study aims to investigate the role of the oil industry’s impact on vegetation in oil production areas in the state of West Kordofan, Sudan. To achieve this aim, the study used satellite images and geographic information systems (GIS and ERDAS) to analyze and calculate the area of vegetation cover in the study area compared to other land uses. In addition, the study used secondary data and the field observation method. The study found that there is a clear impact of the development of the oil industry on the area of vegetation, especially around oil fields and settlements. The area of vegetation also declined from 56% in 1999, at the beginning of oil production, to 42% in 2023 of the total other land use in the region. Therefore, the study recommended paying attention to evaluating the environmental impact and practicing reforestation to compensate for the removal of vegetation in the study area