Survey and Study of Soil Drought Phenomenon in 2000 and 2023 by GIS in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Azeez, Salim Neimat; 1, Iraj Rahimi

doi:10.58928/ku25.16224

	Survey and Study of Soil Drought Phenomenon in 2000 and 2023 by GIS in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences (KUJAS)
Volume 16, Issue 2, June 2025, Pages 191-203 PDF (927.16 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.58928/ku25.16224
Authors
Salim Neimat Azeez^* ¹; Iraj Rahimi 1²
¹Sjlaimani Polytechnic University- Bakrajo Technical Institute- Protected Cultivation
²Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Planning Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
Abstract
Abstract Drought is an environmental disaster worldwide, especially in countries with limited water resources and even other countries affected by this phenomenon. This study aims to conduct a spatial survey of drought signs and causes, monitor, map and evaluate the drought phenomenon using remote sensing and geographic information systems. The study has a great importance in knowing the time periods in which droughts occurred and predicting the upcoming dry periods in order to give a clear vision to decision makers to avoid the phenomenon of drought or to reduce its negative effects. The drought indicators normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI) have been used for this purpose. Drought areas, vegetation cover and water bodies were calculated by analyzing and evaluating the effects of drought on soil, vegetation cover and water bodies in the study area. The results showed that drought areas increase towards the south of the study area. The study area was greatly affected by the drought phenomenon in 2000, and this can be observed when comparing the image of 2000 with the image of 2023, as the areas of barren lands were large in 2000, and the area of vegetation cover and the area of water bodies decreased. The desertification area decreased in 2023 compared to 2000, as the desertification area in 2000 was 16532.06 km2 or 15435.04 km2 or the desertification area in 2023. The evidence of the NDVI and the NDWI confirm the occurrence of drought in the study area in 2000.
Keywords
Key Words: Survey; Sulaymaniyah; Kurdistan Region; Drought; NDVI; NDWI

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