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Assessment of Land Degradation Vulnerability Using GIS-Based Multicriteria Decision Analysis in Zakho District, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

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Environmental Degradation in Asia

Part of the book series: Earth and Environmental Sciences Library ((EESL))

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Abstract

The combination of GIS and multicriteria decision analysis approach was applied for assessment of land degradation vulnerability in Zakho District in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. First, a literature review was conducted to select effective parameters related to land degradation vulnerability. Three main groups of parameters, including physical, chemical, and socio-economic, were defined as effective criteria. The selected parameters were land use/land cover, slope, soil erosion rate, soil salinity, soil sodicity, soil organic carbon, soil acidity, and population density. The data were acquired from several sources, and the maps of the parameters were created in ArcGIS 10.3 version. The maps were standardized and adjusted in similar units and then aggregated using a weighted overlay method to show the spatial pattern of land degradation risk in the study area. The result indicated that only 7% be susceptible in the study area, while 50 and 43% were categorized as low and moderate levels, respectively. The land degradation risk is mainly due to natural factors such as slope and soil erosion. The result of this research could be useful for national organizations and agencies for sustainable land use planning and land management.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Department of Agriculture of the University of Duhok for providing the required data and information.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35401, USA

    Hazhir Karimi

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Zakho, Zakho, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Yaseen T. Mustafa

  3. Computer Science Department, College of Sciences, Nawroz University, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Yaseen T. Mustafa

  4. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

    Hooshyar Hossini

  5. Petroleum and Mining Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tishk International University, Erbil, 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

    Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi

Authors
  1. Hazhir Karimi
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  2. Yaseen T. Mustafa
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  3. Hooshyar Hossini
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  4. Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hazhir Karimi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Petroleum and Mining Engineering Department, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq

    Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi

  2. University of Zakho, Zakho, Duhok, Iraq

    Yaseen T. Mustafa

  3. Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Abdelazim M. Negm

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Karimi, H., Mustafa, Y.T., Hossini, H., Al-Quraishi, A.M.F. (2022). Assessment of Land Degradation Vulnerability Using GIS-Based Multicriteria Decision Analysis in Zakho District, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In: Al-Quraishi, A.M.F., Mustafa, Y.T., Negm, A.M. (eds) Environmental Degradation in Asia. Earth and Environmental Sciences Library. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12112-8_3

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