Page 176 - AJWEP-v22i2

Ali and Al-Hasnawi

techniques were used in the study of the Duhok Dam (v) Provide recommendations for sustainable water
in Kurdistan Region to assess the changes in water resource management, including improving water
surface area between 2001 and 2012, where satellite storage, flood control, and reducing water loss.
data (Landsat 7 ETM+) were analyzed using ENVI
and ArcGIS programs, taking into account field and 3. Materials and research methods
climatic data to ensure the accuracy of the results.
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This study is consistent with other research, such as 3.1. Study area and hydrological characteristics
the study of the Varuna River Basin in India, which Haditha Dam is located at coordinates 34.30685°N and
used RS to identify the best locations for groundwater 42.27985°E in the western Iraqi Anbar Governorate.
recharge facilities based on slope, soil depth, and Built in 1987, the dam rises 57 meters above the
runoff assessment. 22 riverbank to form Lake Haditha, a reservoir holding
The study of the Chilikot Basin in Ethiopia revealed around 8.3 billion m of water. The reservoir, which
3
that spectral data analysis and DEM help identify covers an area of around 500 km at its whole operating
2
drainage patterns and topography, supporting water water level of 147 meters, is an essential source
conservation initiatives. In the Akero River Basin of drinking water, agriculture, and hydroelectric
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in India, manual and automated GIS techniques power. The dam basin is around 10,000 km and has
2
enabled accurate mapping of drainage networks and a diverse topography, including valleys, hills, and
detailed morphological measurements. Another plains. The Euphrates River feeds the reservoir, which
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study confirmed that integrating RS techniques with has experienced substantial hydrological changes
GIS enhances the ability to manage water resources throughout time. Due to significant upstream dam
sustainably in arid regions. Patil and Kherde also building and rising water use, the river’s annual flow has
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showed that integrating hydrological modeling and decreased over the past few decades from its historical
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spatial analysis using GIS can provide effective estimate of about 30 billion m . There are noticeable
solutions for water management in river basins. seasonal changes, with springtime peak flows caused by
These studies underscore the importance of rain and snowmelt. After international water accords,
integrating RS and GIS techniques into water recent estimates show that the Euphrates currently
resources management, as they provide practical tools have flow rates that have, under some circumstances,
3
for monitoring environmental changes, analyzing increased from about 240 m /s to 450 m /s. At Haditha
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hydrological data, and making informed decisions in Dam, operational difficulties still exist despite this
water basin management, which can be generalized to progress. Up to 3,000 m /s may be safely released by
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improve water management efficiency and sustainable the structure, with forecasts of up to 4,000 m³/s during
water project planning. This study hopes to contribute extreme situations.
to a deeper understanding of the hydrological Different sub-catchments that define discrete
characteristics of the Haditha Dam Basin and provide drainage zones within the basin further define the
practical tools for improving water management in research region. Targeted water management methods
scarce areas, enhancing long-term environmental and may be informed by an understanding of localized
economic benefits. runoff patterns and water distribution, which is made
possible by these sub-catchments, as shown in Figure 1.
2.2. Aims of the study
This study has five aims: 3.2. Data
(i) Analyze the topographic and hydrological As presented previously, 30,31 satellite data have been
characteristics of the Haditha Dam Basin using used to estimate changes in water volume in lakes and
Sentinel-1 satellite images and DEM. reservoirs, providing a powerful tool for monitoring
(ii) Identify topographic features such as slopes and water resources.
water flow accumulation and their impact on water Sentinel-1, as shown in Figure 2, provides radar
runoff and soil erosion. images with a spatial resolution of 10 m with a revisit
(iii) Conduct LULC to assess their impact on water time of around 5 days obtained from the European Space
runoff and groundwater storage. Agency Copernicus program. The Sentinel-2 optical
(iv) Identify sub-basins within the central basin and image provides multispectral data with a resolution of
understand their contribution to water flow toward up to 10 m with a revisit time of around 5 days, obtained
the reservoir. from the same program. DEMs were created using

Volume 22 Issue 2 (2025) 170 doi: 10.36922/ajwep.8499