The article represents a contribution to the assessment of slope processes, with special emphasis on landslides, rockfalls, and creeps along the road sector Batushë-Rrasa e Kosharës (municipality of Gjakova) in Kosova. The analysis of natural factors, as well as their role in triggering and evolving slope processes, was conducted by observing the processes in the field and, with a multidisciplinary approach, analyzing the natural factors (geology, tectonics, climate, vegetation) as well as the role of humans. By using GIS/RS techniques, the causes and features of processes were identified and presented with various illustrations and maps, assessing the potential risk in the future with the aim of proper management, considering the movement of citizens, and preserving the road infrastructure in a segment with historical and touristic values. The slopes with a 35–40° gradient are more prone to landslides, while the presence of unconsolidated rocks and fractured limestone has accelerated slope destabilization and rock mass movements. Slope stability techniques should be implemented in order to keep the road open for future visitors to historical sites.
The soil resources in Kosovo are facing challenges due to different human activities. Urbanization, along with economic growth, has further worsened the shortage of soil resources in Kosovo. In the last 20 years, Kosovo has undergone some social, political and economical changes which have made the population to migrate toward plains, where new settlements are formed, and other are extended. Soil resources are important for Kosovo’s inhabitants, who are mainly focused on agriculture. Most of the Kosovo’s terrain is mountainous, which means nearly half of the area is not suitable for agriculture. The Sitnica River basin lies mostly in Kosovo Plain where soils are characterized by high fertility with a great potential for agricultural development. The vicinity parts of the river basin lie in the hilly mountainous areas where soils have low fertility. Good natural conditions have made the River Basin the most densely populated area in Kosovo. Rapid extension of urban and rural settlements changed the land cover; agricultural lands were excluded from primary use, and the agricultural capacity is reduced with the increasing number of settlements on lands with high quality. Sitnica River basin was faced with uncontrolled urbanization, followed by the degradation of agricultural lands and land use changes, where floods occur in some cases or the flood risk is increased. In this case study, the Sitnica River basin will be analysed based on terrain morphology, soil and other natural resources, land use changes and will be a contribution towards sustainable urbanization of settlements in order to preserve soil resources.
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