Determination of land use and land cover change using remote sensing and GIS case of study; in Shekhan district

One of the most important challenges that strongly influence the agricultural development process and food security is the changes in land use and land cover in Iraq. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are essentially important for the modeling, monitoring, and mapping of the changes in land use and land cover across a range of spatial and temporal scales. High frequency of urbanization coupled with the population growth led to a significant change in land use and land cover in Shekhan, Duhok. Iraq. Population increase exerts pressure on lands to produce a higher amount of food and fiber. Therefore, sustainable use of land resources and wise management practices are needed to secure lands from degradation. The main objective of the current study was to determine the land use and land cover change in Shekhan district region of Iraq. Satellite data of Landsat TM of 2002, ETM of 2013 and 2018 were used to determine the changes in land use and land cover in time. ArcGIS and ENDVI were used in GIS and processing of satellite data. The detection of land use and land cover were analyzed to exhibit the changes between 2002 and 2018. The results revealed a significant decrease in vegetation cover between 2002 and 2018 and the decrease rate in vegetation cover was determined as 3.24 and 11.36 ha per year. Whereas residential area was 1113.74 ha with a ratio of 0.79 % in 2002, increased to 2400.65 ha in 2013 and to 2534.65 with a ratio of 1.7% in 2018. Similar to the residential area, the coverage area of the water body also increased in the study area. High vegetation area in 2002 was 2649.01 ha with a ratio of 1.87% and increased to 6681.25 ha in 2018 with a ratio of 4.71%. The built-up areas in the north of Shekhan showed that there was a growing trend according to another orientation. The results of the present study are capable of providing a sustainable solution for urban planning.