Assessment of Environmental Quality Indices in the Cities of the Kura-Aras Lowland, Republic of Azerbaijan

More than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities that occupy only 3% of the Earth’s surface, while about 10% of the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan resides in cities covering 4% of the Kura-Aras plain. Since 30% of the republic’s population is concentrated in the capital, the populations of other cities are relatively small. Nevertheless, the population density in Shirvan, located within our study area, is twice as high as in Baku. Assessing the urban quality index is therefore an important issue for densely populated cities, and this research is devoted to that topic. The geographical conditions of the cities were analyzed using satellite imagery processed with Geographic Information Systems, while the ecological situation was examined through statistical methods. The findings demonstrate that the natural conditions of these cities significantly influence their socio-economic development. Their location at the intersection of major transport routes and along the banks of the country’s two largest rivers has played a decisive role in their growth and formation.