Analysis of the impact of floods on agricultural land along the small dam canal using background surveying technique

Abstract

The study area encompasses the Little Zab River, stretching 135 km from Lake Dokan to Barada. The lands surrounding the river are among the most fertile agricultural lands in the region, supporting diverse and continuous agricultural activities. Various agricultural crops are cultivated there. To achieve the study objectives, remote sensing data, such as satellite data (PlanetScop) with a resolution of three meters per pixel, was utilized. Smart classification techniques were employed to detect changes in agricultural lands. The study compared two years: 2019, a year marked by rain and floods, and 2020, considered a normal rainfall year. The findings revealed that during the floods in 2019, the area of agricultural land on both sides of the Little Zab River decreased by 4% compared to 2020 throughout the study area. Furthermore, the results indicated that a larger area of land is available for agriculture during normal river levels. In 2020, 10% of the region's land area was allocated as open land, whereas in 2019, this percentage was only 1%. Monitoring river water levels via satellite is crucial for determining flood timing and predicting damage extent to agricultural lands.