The use of remote sensing techniques to monitor changes in the cover of water, vegetation and agricultural to observe desertification and dust storms events in Iraq for the period 1990-2022

Abstract

     Iraq is currently witnessing significant environmental, climatic and hydrological changes, whose impact began to be noticeable on human life. The latter emerged through the manifestations of desertification, the most important of which are the increase in the frequency of dust storms, the emergence of sand dunes, soil erosion, the lack of natural vegetation, the lack of rainfall and extreme temperatures. This led to a significant decrease in the areas of agricultural lands due to the lack of water, which resulted that the soil loses its vegetated cover and the disintegration of its texture to become fragile and ready for transportation via wind erosion processes. A number of natural and human variables affecting Iraq, this threatened the environment which heads towards drought. The latter has a significant impact on the surface, groundwater sources, soil and vegetation, which all influence the economics of Iraq. Therefore, the lack of agricultural activity, which in turn is a reflection to national food security as well as human activities, cities, transport routes and vital facilities. This requires a study to detect and monitor the phenomena of desertification and dust storms events by employing remote sensing techniques, which covers Iraq and its administrative borders.

   This study aims to assess the surface water resources, natural vegetation and agricultural areas as well as to determine the extent of desertification and the increase in the frequency of dust and sand storms.

Iraq suffers from the problem of a significant decrease in surface water sources due to the policy of the upstream countries and the lack of precipitation, which led to a decline in the water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as well as in the reservoirs of lakes, dams and marsh areas.

Based on Landsat OLI8 (2022) and thematic mapping (Landsat TM5) for the year 1990. Using the Natural Variation Index for Vegetation and Water Iraq is currently suffering from a great threat of drought as a result of the lack of water resources, whose areas decreased by half between the years 1990-2022, with a decline rate of(49.37%). The area of ​​vegetation and agricultural cover for the year 2022 decreased to (12.72%) only after it was in the year 1990 (14.37%) compared to the total area of ​​Iraq amounting to (438317) square kilometers. ) of the total area of ​​Iraq. The Mosul-Bayji-Syria axis is the most influential on Iraq in recent years. It was also found that the axis west of Al-Gharraf - Euphrates, which is called Al-Katea'a, is the most locally frequented area, which affects southern Iraq and the Arabian Gulf.