Integrating remote sensing and GIS techniques for effective watershed management: a case study of Wadi Al-Naft Basins in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, using ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model

Abstract

The study used remote sensing and GIS techniques for defining the watershed and computing various morphometric characteristics of the Wadi Al-Naft Basins in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. The findings reveal the existence of two sub-basins, each of which was found to have four streams order. The drainage density, a measure of the stream length per unit area, was found to be 0.19 and 0.16 km/km², respectively. They found 153 streams, categorized into different orders based on size and connectivity. First-order streams were found to be 882.71 km in length, totalling 128, while second-order streams totalling 533.12 km in length. Third-order streams numbered 4 with a total length of 199.9 km, while there were two fourth-order streams with a total length of 57 km. These results may be utilised to examine water flow patterns in the area and are crucial for understanding the hydrological features of the Wadi Al-Naft Basin. To effectively manage water resources, the research underlines the value of GIS in obtaining data on water resources, including a range of morphometric factors. A valuable tool for water resource management, the paper outlines a systematic process for identifying and characterising watersheds that may be used in a case study.