Monitoring and Evaluating Land Cover Change in The Duhok City, Kurdistan Region-Iraq, by Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

The rapid urban development in the Duhok city since the 1990s has dramatically enhanced the potential impact of human activities. To identify and monitor this urban development effectively, remote sensing provides a viable source of data from which updated land cover information can be extracted efficiently and cheaply. In this study, three satellite datasets, Landsat Thematic Mapper (Landsat TM), and two Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (Landsat 7 ETM+), acquired during 1989, 2001 and 2012, respectively, were used to detect and evaluate Duhok's urban expansion. Two change detection techniques were tested to detect areas of change. The techniques considered were image differencing, and post-classification comparison. The land use/land cover (LULC) maps of the years 1989, 2001 and 2012 were produced and the changes were determined with significant accuracies. The simplicity of our methods and the minimal investment of time and money make incorporation of remotely sensed data into urban growth a potentially powerful tool for the urban planner/manager. Moreover, the understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of Duhok's urban expansion is the cornerstone for formulating a view about the future urban uses and for making the best use of the limited resources that are available.