Environmental change detection using remote sensing and GIS techniques in the area around al-Ahdeb oil field, Wasit governorate, Iraq

الملخص EN

Remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) are used in this study to detect environmental changes in the vicinity of Al-Ahdeb oil field, southwest of Kut City, Wasit Governorate.

Different image indices, such as Normalized Differences Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Differences Soil Index (NDSoI), and Normalized Differences Salinity Index (NDSI) are used.

Two LANDSAT images with acquired data of September 2007 and 2016 are used to detect the environmental changes and to detect the effect of Al-Ahdeb oil field before and after construction and industrial operation.

The results of change detection show there is a high decrease in the vegetation cover during the year 2016 compared with 2007, where the area of vegetation cover has decreased from (165.85 Km2) in 2007 to (119.62 Km2) in 2016.

The change detection results from NDSI show that the saline soil in (2016) is higher than those in (2007).

The NDSI derived from Landsat TM (2007) image confirms that there is significant increase of salinity in the study area, where the calculated area of the salinity in 2007 is (5.65 Km2) while in 2016 it is (21.951 Km2).

Change detection, using NDSoI, show that the land in the study area is going toward desertification and soil degradation.

The decrease in the vegetation cover, which in turn led to soil erosion in addition to water shortage and the pollution by the waste of the oil field, could be the main reasons of the desertification in the area.