Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

TEMPORAL CHANGE OF URBAN LAND USE: THE CASE OF ERBIL CITY

Muayad Salah Mohammad, Necmettin Elmastas and Haidi Abdullah

Abstract

Rapid urban change in Erbil since 2000 has increased the potential impact from human activity. One accurate way to identify and monitor the scale of urban development is through remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). These provide a viable source of information as land cover data can be easily and effectively extracted. Erbil, like many other cities in Iraq, has experienced rapid urban spread mostly due to population growth after 2003. Previously lacking well-organized urban planning systems and principles, the city has seen uncontrollable urban growth with adverse environmental impact. This research covers three satellite datasets, Landsat 5, Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2, acquired in 2000, 2010 and 2018 respectively. The technology is used to detect changes and expansions taking place within Erbil city. Land use/land cover (LULC) maps for these years have been generated in order to determine the specific changes occuring. Use of remotely sensed data on urban growth is a simple method to support urban planners and policy-makers, and save time and money. Monitoring the spatial and temporal dynamics of Erbil’s urban expansion is a challenge, and vital in establishing how best to formulate future regional urban usage, and how to maximize increasingly limited resources.