Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Variations on Surface Temperature in Nasiriya City Using RS & GIS

Abstract

Nasiriya City in Dhi Qar Province has undergone remarkable development in land use over the years, influenced by various economic and social transformations. The current study aims to analyze changes in Land-Use/Land-Cover (LULC), calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) indices, and land surface temperature (LST) for the years 1990, 2000, 2013, and 2024, using ArcGIS 10.8 with Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-8 OLI images.  The results showed that the highest NDVI value for Nasiriya city was 0.48 in 1990, while the highest value in 2024 was 0.49. The urban areas in Nasiriya significantly expanded between 1990 and 2024, growing from roughly 21 km² to 60 km². On the other hand, water areas decreased from 133 km² in 1990 to 99 km² in 2024 due to changes in land use, pollution, human activity, and the draining of marshes at the end of the 20th century. The findings show that the LST values increased from 22.8°C in 1990 to 39.4°C in 2024, indicating that the LULC categories changed during the study period. The study results emphasize the importance of implementing sustainable development ideas that balance environmental protection, conservation of natural resources, and urban growth.