Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Iraj Mubammad Amin
• Salim Neimat Azeez ¹
• Imran Hasan Ahmad Hasan Ahmad ²

¹ Assistant professor in Sulaimany polytechnic university

² Surveying Dep., Darbandikhan Technical Institute, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Darbandikhan-Sulaimani-Iraq

Abstract

Remote Sensing accompanied with GIS is a powerful way of mapping land-use/cover change at different spatial and temporal resolutions. This study aims to map the urban land use change of the small city of Darbandikhan, in the west of Kurdistan Region-Iraq using Google Earth time series images, as well as, field statistical data, from 2003 to 2013 which is considered as the most prosperous economic period within the study area. Results showed that the city has extended by 2.7 times, from almost 1.9 km2in 2003 to 5.3 km2 in 2013, mainly to the North and West of the city considering the potentials of the area. During that period residents have doubled mainly because of the rural movement toward urban areas as the result of economic flourishment caused by the economic evolvement in 2003. Also, the developed map has revealed the fact that the distribution of the facilities, except for schools, is not organized. It has been located in such a way around the city center exclusively. The developed map, also revealed, that the distribution of facilities, except schools, is not well distributed all over the town and mainly maintained around the city center. Furthermore, the roads, as shown on the map, are mostly (90%) less than 15m wide which rarely met the transportation demands of the city.

Keywords

• Urban Change pattern
• Darbandikhan
• RS/GIS
• Google Earth
• Land Use/Cover

Main Subjects

• Environment