| Abstrakt: |
One of the significant contemporary challenges confronting both Iraq and the globe is the persistent risk of desertification due to climatic conditions and human actions. Utilizing remote sensing and satellite imagery is crucial in establishing effective global and local systems for monitoring the progression of land degradation and desertification in arid and semi-arid regions. The study area is situated in Diyala Province, particularly in the northeastern region of Iraq, the area is bounded by: latitudes (33° 54′ 08″-34° 00′ 04″ North) longitudes (44° 15′ 36″-46° 10′ 83″ East). A supervised classification was used for the Land use and Land cover (LULC) classification. Two main maps for detection of change in land cover between different years analyses by use of visual interpretation in addition to statistical analysis and highlights of the increasing prevalence of desertification were prepared (built-up, water, extreme desertification, severe, light, moderate, and non-desertification). The study's findings indicate that desertification is a significant concern in Diyala Province, with extreme desertification accounting for over 60% of the land area in 2022. Diyala Province faces growing desertification threats due to increasing drought and land degradation. In 2022, a severe drought covered 50% of the area. In 2002, Diyala Province's land cover revealed dominance of extreme desertification (60.57%). By 2022, with expanded built-up areas (2.53%), extreme desertification persisted (62.95%), signaling a pressing need for robust desertification management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
