Forest Change Detection in Mosul Province using RS and GIS Techniques

Abstract

    There are many events that took place in Al Mosul province between 2013 and 2018. These events led to many changes in the area under study. These changes involved a decrease in agricultural crops and water due to the population leaving the area. Therefore, it is imperative that planners, decision-makers, and development officials intervene in order to restore the region's activity in terms of environment and agriculture. The aim of this research is to use remote sensing (RS) technique and geographic information system (GIS) to detect the change that occurred in the mentioned period. This was achieved through the use of the ArcGIS software package for the purpose of assessing the state of lands of agricultural crops and forests. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) were adopted in the current calculations. This can help the decision-maker take the necessary measures to avoid the problems caused by the emergency events. The results obtained through this research showed that the region had rate changes in farms, water, and forests of about 1%, as it was found that there was a decrease in the level of the Tigris River and an increase in the area of ​​ carrot crop farms. Also, the results indicated a decrease in areas of agricultural crops in specific regions, while they increased in others.