Employing Remote Sensing Technologies in Greenbelt Design and Combating Desertification: A Case Study of Baqubah District

Abstract

Urban expansion and climate change in semi-arid regions have exacerbated environmental degradation in many cities. Baqubah, a city in eastern Iraq, like other areas in the country, has experienced changes in land use and a decline in vegetation cover. This study aims to identify optimal locations and technical requirements for establishing a sustainable greenbelt system in Baqubah District using an integrated geospatial approach. Vegetation dynamics were evaluated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), while thermal conditions were assessed through Land Surface Temperature (LST). Land use/land cover (LULC) was classified into five types using the maximum likelihood algorithm. Agricultural land is concentrated around watercourses in the central and northeastern regions, covering 74 square kilometers. Arable land appears in the southwest and east, covering 47 square kilometers, indicating its potential for development within the Green Belt project. Climatic variables were spatially fitted using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method. A spatial fit model was developed using the Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) and weighted superposition analysis. Land surface temperature was calculated from a thermal range of 29.8°C to 41.3°C, with the highest values (above 40°C) concentrated in urban and exposed areas. Areas with dense vegetation recorded relatively low temperatures (below 34°C), reflecting the effect of vegetation in reducing surface temperature. A spatial suitability map for establishing a green belt in the northern and northeastern areas of Baqubah district has been identified, characterized by favorable conditions including heavy rainfall (>170 mm), moderate humidity (>50%), low temperatures (<41°C), and high vegetation cover index values.