Change detection and GIS-based fuzzy AHP to evaluate the degradation and reclamation land of Tikrit City, Iraq

Abstract

LULC factors in Tikrit city (Iraq) and the neighboring municipalities are studied among 1989, 2002 and 2015 using various techniques of remote sensing, geographical information system (GIS), and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). Satellite imagery with GIS helped to assess the standard LULC changes in the long term period. FAHP permitted estimating the importance of various LULC by determination of the suitable weight for used factors and then producing the evaluating models. Using different techniques, two models were created (1) to estimate the degradation of the land (2) is generated to determine the reclamation of the area. The finding reveals that the a overall accuracy of 97.0939%, 98.9199% and 99.5817% or 1989, 2002 and 2015 respectively. The outcomes also revealed that urban, vegetation, and water features area are developed in the long term (1989–2015) about 4.35%, 4.28%, and 1.49%, respectively, while barren area is reduced about 5.57%.The degradation map index showed that the lands strongly debased are these converted from vegetation to barren, followed by moderate to high these changed from water areas to urban, while moderate degradation is noticed of urban transformed to barren soil. Contrary, the reclamation map index illustrated that the lands are powerfully transformed from barren to the vegetation and followed by those converted from barren to the water, while barren transformed to the urban is marked as moderate reclamation. The transformation from urban to vegetation or water was classified as the low and deficient class to evaluate the area. The study is also revealed that the integration of remote sensing and GIS produces a successful method for LULC monitoring and managing the environment.