The Detection of Changes in Land Use and Land Cover of Al-Kut City using Geographic Information System (GIS)

Models of digital elevation (DEMs), which provide elevation information for the ground surface of the catchment, are core components of computer-based analyzes for drainage basins. Many production methods are available, including contour interpolation, DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) interpolation, and digital photogrammetry techniques. However, data on the precision and often contradictory nature of these three techniques are sparse. This study aims at identifying some of the contributing factors and comparing the accuracy of various approaches quantitatively. Changes in land coverage break ecosystem cycles, which may directly affect land ability to sustain human activity resulting in long-term trends of decline and inter-annual variability. It can be monitored at a spatial level of detail to enable the study of human-induced changes. Remote sensing techniques (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) methods have been used to extract the spatial and temporal changes of urban land use in the city of Al-Kut. The land sat satellite images taken in periods encompassing 1997, 2007, and 2017 are used. As a result, the city has lost a large part of its urban specificity and gained randomness and disorder in most of its residential neighborhoods, which was especially exacerbated after the change in the governing system in 2003. The results show an increase of 314% and 219% in industrial and residential areas, respectively, whereas agricultural land and open spaces have decreased by 66 % and 32%. The data analysis reveals a diagnostic relationship between land-use conversion and socio-economic drivers. This research sheds light on the total area changes of the Al-Kut city before and after 2003. It highlights the significant destruction of the city life, which was established over almost three centuries.