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Iraq's climate is prone to frequent droughts, which have severely influenced the country in the past two decades. A study conducted using remote sensing and geographical information systems analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of drought in Iraqi Kurdistan - specifically Erbil for 19 years from 2003 to 2021. The research found that the region had experienced severe drought episodes during this time, with an increase in severity and frequency, especially in 2008, 2012, and 2021. These years were noticeable by a decrease in vegetation area cover and lower average precipitation. The study utilized the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Rainfall, and Rainfall Anomaly to produce multi-temporal classified drought maps, which showed that climate conditions played a significant role in the change of the vegetated cover area. The research also estimated the effect of rainfall variability on vegetation cover in Erbil, concluding that rainfall anomalies led to changes in the NDVI. The correlation matrix between rainfall anomalies and NDVI anomalies confirms that irregular rainfall patterns result in modifications to the NDVI. Productivity was found to increase with wet anomalies and decrease with dry anomalies. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the impact of drought on agricultural productivity in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR)-Erbil and emphasizes the importance of implementing effective strategies to mitigate the impact of drought on agriculture in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of surface soil properties is crucial for agricultural and environmental purposes. This study aimed to utilize geoinformatics approaches and Landsat OLI-8 data to predict specific physicochemical properties of the surface soil in Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). It also examined the statistical relationships between these properties and spectral reflectance, vegetation cover, soil/vegetation moisture contents, and elevation. The study made use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), as well as seven bands of the OLI image for the statistical analysis. The results demonstrated a statistical connection between organic matter (O.M.) and vegetation cover based on NDVI. It was observed that the northern parts of Sulaimaniyah exhibited dense vegetation, albeit covering a small area. Generally, mountainous regions had a higher proportion of canopy cover compared to other parts of the arid zone, with moisture availability being the most influential factor on vegetation. Moreover, the majority of the research area showed the highest CaCO3 content and a significant negative relationship was found between vegetation (NDVI) and soil moisture (NDMI) with organic matter (O.M.) and clay. Using geoinformatics datasets and techniques proved valuable in identifying, mapping, and investigating specific surface physicochemical properties in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a complex phenomenon that has severe impacts on the environment. Vegetation and its conditions are very sensitive to drought effects. This study aimed to monitor and assess the drought severity and its relationships to some ecological variables in ten districts of Erbil Governorate (Kurdistan Region), Iraq, throughout 20 years (1998-2017). The results revealed that droughts frequently hit Erbil throughout the study period. The Landsat time-series- based on Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) significantly correlated with precipitation, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and latitude. Extreme VCI-based drought area percentages were recorded in 1999, 2000, 2008, and 2011 by 43.4%, 67.9%, 43.3%, and 40.0%, respectively. The highest crop yield reduction in the study area occurred mainly in 2000, 2008, and 2012 due to low precipitation rates. These results reveal the capability of the VCI for drought characteristics and highlighting relationships with some ecological variables, which provide vital information to the decision-makers, environmental, and economic sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a complex phenomenon that has severe impacts on the environment. Vegetation and its conditions are very sensitive to drought effects. This study aimed to monitor and assess the drought severity and its relationships to some ecological variables in ten districts of Erbil Governorate (Kurdistan Region), Iraq, throughout 20 years (1998-2017). The results revealed that droughts frequently hit Erbil throughout the study period. The Landsat time-series- based on Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) significantly correlated with precipitation, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and latitude. Extreme VCI-based drought area percentages were recorded in 1999, 2000, 2008, and 2011 by 43.4%, 67.9%, 43.3%, and 40.0%, respectively. The highest crop yield reduction in the study area occurred mainly in 2000, 2008, and 2012 due to low precipitation rates. These results reveal the capability of the VCI for drought characteristics and highlighting relationships with some ecological variables, which provide vital information to the decision-makers, environmental, and economic sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]