Relation between river dynamics and coastal changes in Albania: an assessment integrating satellite imagery with historical data

The geomorphology of three major ri ver deltas in Albania (Shkumbini, Seman i and Vjose) was studied using Landsat multi-spectral imagery. Palaeohydrol ogical studies using meander geometric properties concluded that all rivers decreased their discharges in the first half of the present century due to land reclamation and creation of irrigation networks. The comparison betwe en paleohydrological assessments and recent measurements at gauging station s confirmed that simple formulae overestimate mean water discharge. The del tas of the three rivers have a rapidly changing morphology, so that the tra ditional tripartite delta classification has a limited applicability. A com parison between the sediment yields of these rivers with worldwide examples points out that they are extremely active hydrological systems.