Spatio-temporal variation of land cover (vegetation) indicators in Rania and Maimouna districts - a comparative climate study

Modern technologies, including remote sensing and geographic information systems through spectral indicators, have contributed to detecting spatial and temporal change and variation in land cover, including vegetation, including the Vegetation Greenness Index (NDVI) and the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI).The research aims to reveal the spatio-temporal variation of vegetation cover in Rania and Maimouna districts for the years (1990 and 2020) using satellite visuals from the American Landsat satellite and calculating the temporal and spatial variation of vegetation cover and the variation in its vegetative state between the two districts, in the form of maps and tables according to the two indicators mentioned above.Two regions were studied, one in northern Iraq (Raniya District in Sulaymaniyah Governorate) and the other in its south (Al-Maymouna District in Maysan Governorate). This is because the two regions differ in terms of topographical and climatic characteristics in general and rainfall in particular, which gives a clearer picture of the effect of these varying characteristics on Plant condition and areas in the study area.The study found a decline in green spaces and a variation in their condition for the years 1990 and 2020 in the study area.