Land use and cover change assessment using Remote Sensing and GIS: Dohuk City, Kurdistan, Iraq (1998–2011)

摘要: Land cover undergoes continuous changes around the world, especially in highly populated areas. This phenomenon can be attributed to human activities including population growth and need of more housing. Dohuk, like many other cities Iraq, has undergone a rapid urban mainly due after 2003. With absence efficient planning systems regulations past, this city witnessed uncontrollable with adverse environmental impact. encroached upon peripheral agricultural lands, caused considerable lack open spaces, resulted degraded environment, e.g. higher proportion concrete asphalt surfaces increased temperature summer. paper follows an integrated approach using remote sensing geographic information system (GIS) measure analyze Dohuk over three periods time (1998, 2007, 2011). Its main goals are demonstrate effective use such modern techniques mapping, identifying, assessing land use/land (LULC) trend addressing current by providing relatively accurate data help planners identifying driving forces behind LULC managing systematic manner. Spatial patterns change were identified through classification detection analyses conducted on multi-temporal Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data. Three satellite images for study area 1998, 2007 2011 processed classified into categories: Vegetation, Barren Land, Urban/Built-up Land. The results show remarkable increase urban/built-up corresponding decreases barren vegetation areas during 1998 2011. also demonstrates that is growing rapidly which could assimilate rural