Using a Geographic Information Systems approach to analyse the Baltic Sea drainage basin allows us to rationally merge economic and ecological data and thus aid in developing efficient coastal management policies. The objective of this study is to develop a model which can estimate population density within the Baltic Sea drainage basin area. The three Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, were used as a test area to develop the initial population density model. The model was developed using sub-national population statistics together with digital data on land use and infrastructure. Digital data were compiled from various sources including ESRI’s Digital Chart of the World and the European Space Agency’s Remote Sensing Forest Map of Europe. We use a single objective, multi-criteria model which assumes that settlement is influenced in varying degrees by land cover, road and railroad infrastructure, and the location of urban areas. Output from the model is in the form of a population density map. We conclude that the population density model is an improvement over other methods used to analyse population density in this region and that it is particularly useful for estimating the population of a drainage basin area.

Tags: data Baltic States