Analyzing the Impact of Climate Drought on Moisture Stress and Vegetation in Kirkuk Governorate within Iraq, Using (GIS&RS)

Abstract

Through analyzing the duration and severity of drought using the drought severity index and employing remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems to analyze Landsat satellite data (5, 7, 8) captured in selected years representative of drought severity, coinciding with the peak of green vegetation growth in the study area, it was found that the drought trends in the study area are moving towards deepening, increasing in frequency and intensity. General trend analysis also showed that the RDI index tends to decrease over time, indicating an increase in drought severity over time. Additionally, the study area suffers from drought risks, which directly impact vegetation cover density. Results from the analysis of Landsat imagery, using digital processing techniques, specifically the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), showed a correlation between soil moisture stress levels in the selected years and drought waves. Dry years witness a significant increase in soil moisture stress, directly affecting vegetation cover density in the study area. Conversely, during wet years, areas with moisture-stressed soil shrink, leading to an increase in vegetation cover area and density.