Mohammed H. Ameen ¹; Huda J. Jumaah ²*; Nawal K. Khursheed ²

1, Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering College, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq

2, Department of Environment and Pollution Engineering, Technical Engineering College of Kirkuk, Northern Technical University, Kirkuk, Iraq

 

Manuscript link
http://doi.org/10.30493/DAS.2024.478002

Abstract

Iraq’s lakes and rivers are presently experiencing significant drought due to climate change and political factors. This research employs satellite data and GIS tools to assess water shortage and identify surface area variations of Lake Hamrin from 2004 to 2024. This research analyzes the fluctuations in the lake’s surface area over the past two decades using data from five Landsat satellites collected in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019, along with an estimate for 2024. The findings indicate a significant drop in Lake Hamrin’s surface area from 220.42 km² in 2004 to 35.28 km² in 2009, reflecting an 84% loss attributed to intense environmental and anthropogenic stressors. However, a considerable recovery transpired from 2014 to 2019, with the surface area expanding to 306.11 km², exceeding the 2004 extent. The shoreline length has a comparable trend, decreasing from 179.22 km in 2004 to 89.32 km in 2009, and then increasing to 286.38 km by 2024. The findings indicate that the oscillations in surface water area are due to discrepancies in water supply and outflow, exacerbated by insufficient rainfall and alterations to river systems by neighboring countries, including the construction of dams and river diversion. These alterations underscore the necessity of action to prevent the complete evaporation of the lake.

Keywords: GIS, Remote sensing, Landsat, Lake Hamrin, Diyala River

Introduction

In Iraq, where water shortage is a significant challenge, effective water management has emerged as a critical national concern. In many regions, water is essential for maintaining ecosystems and supporting human requirements [1][2]. Water is unequivocally one of the most vital resources, since it dictates the structure of economic activity and the conditions of life. Agriculture is a sector significantly impacted by water scarcity, exacerbating food security concerns in the region [3]. The water issue in Iraq has intensified owing to climatic and geopolitical considerations, as demonstrated by the downstream impacts of dam constructions in neighboring countries [4].

Recent years have been marked by a reduction in rainfall in Iraq, with levels declining by 40% compared to previous rates. Simultaneously, hydroelectric projects in Turkey and Iran, involving dam construction, have markedly reduced river discharge into Iraq [5]. All these factors have collectively diminished the nation’s overall water supply significantly. Accurate evaluation of water exchange in Iraq and the strategic management of water resources need contemporary and exact data on the areas and quantities of water bodies. Nevertheless, data on water volume for lakes and reservoirs is limited due to political, legal, and commercial restraints [4]. The absence of data significantly constrains the comprehension of water distribution and flood control.

Lakes serve as comprehensive indicators of many environmental conditions on both global and regional dimensions, reflecting overarching environmental changes and pressures [6]. The regular monitoring of water resources, including lakes, in Iraq is effective. However, this process faces various problems due to the location of many water bodies in distant and often inaccessible regions [7]. Satellite remote sensing is an optimal method for acquiring extensive and cost-effective data that is otherwise challenging to get. Remote sensing is highly efficient in detecting the temporal changes in surface water areas and volumes via multi-temporal satellite imagery. Thereby, facilitating the monitoring of water bodies’ dynamic responses to climatic changes and human interventions [2][8]. Consequently, remote sensing technologies are essential for monitoring alterations in Iraq’s surface water bodies, emphasizing both the present and previous decades. Some of the existing reports show that climate changes and human interference with related reservoir such as water resource management policies have reduced the surface area of many of the lakes in Iraq or even resulted in their complete dryness [9][10].

Diyala River is a prominent water stream of Northeastern Iraq. It stems from the junction of the Alwand and Sirwan rivers and feeds numerous lakes, and reservoirs. Lake Hamrin was formed after the construction Hamrin Dam in 1981 to control floods, provide water for irrigation, and for hydroelectricity generating purposes [7][11]. Nonetheless, there is apprehension over the fluctuation of water levels in Lake Hamrin, primarily affected by alterations in precipitation and water discharges from upstream areas. Consequently, the construction of dams in neighboring countries, especially Turkey, has resulted in a significant reduction of water input to Iraq, posing a substantial management challenge and adversely impacting agricultural output and the availability of clean water for the population [12].

The integration of remote sensing with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offers effective tools for the frequent monitoring and analysis of water bodies. Multiple instances are examined in which the application of remote sensing and GIS system solutions proves helpful for monitoring lakes and reservoirs [13-16] (Table 1). This entails the use of sophisticated software [17] and the incorporation of many data sources and validation techniques due to variations in picture quality and collection methods across the examined region [18].

This study aims to analyze the alterations in the surface water area and shoreline length of Lake Hamrin in Diyala Governorate from 2004 to 2024, utilizing Landsat imagery, given the lake’s significant environmental and economic importance.

Material and Methods

Data

Various categories of Landsat images were utilized to assess the changes in water surface area and shoreline length of Lake Hamrin from 2004 to 2024, (Table 2). The images were selected based on their temporal and spatial attributes to illustrate the evolving patterns in the lake’s surface area and shoreline.

Study area

The Hamrin Dam Lake (Lake Hamrin) was designated as the research area on the Diyala River, about 120 km northeast of Baghdad, Iraq. It is an artificial reservoir located between 34° 00′ 30″ to 34° 21′ 30″ N and 44° 52′ 00″ to 45° 12′ 00″ E, created after the establishment of Hamrin Dam in June 1981 (Fig. 1) [3][19].

The dam is located on the southern perimeter of the lake at an altitude of 109.5 meters above sea level, measuring 3,360 meters in length, 40 meters in height, and 8 meters in width at the crest. The principal objective of Hamrin Dam’s construction was to regulate the yearly flooding of the Diyala River; it furthermore functions as a vital irrigation supply and generates electrical power for Diyala Governorate. The Alwand River converges with the Sirwan River north of Jalawla, creating the Diyala River, which then flows into the Tigris River, south of Baghdad.

Methodology

This study develops an efficient methodology for assessing the surface water of Lake Hamrin and its recovery potential over a 20-year period utilizing satellite imagery and GIS technology. Landsat satellites images from the years 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024 were assessed to examine the temporal fluctuations of surface water. The obtained images underwent geometric adjustment to align with geographic coordinates, ensuring geographical reference for the subsequent analysis phase.  Dead time, gain, and photo-neutron contamination corrections were used to eliminate sensor and ambient interference, hence enhancing data dependability. The data were subsequently exported and integrated into a GIS system for geographical analysis, with layers of surface water area and shoreline length created for accurate spatial examination.

Satellite images and GIS data were regularly stored, and metadata documentation was conducted to enhance database dependability. The increase and decline percentages were calculated to ascertain the varying intensities and trends of the surface water area and shoreline length. The results were subsequently compared to historical documents and other studies to enhance the study’s reliability.

Results

The alterations in the water surface area of Lake Hamrin from 2004 to 2024 indicate substantial variations, with 2004 established as the reference year for comparison evaluation (Figs. 2 and 3).

In 2004, the surface area of Lake Hamrin was 220.42 km² (Fig. 2 A), which was considered as the baseline of comparison for the following two decades. During the subsequent years, the lake’s area had significantly diminished to 35.28 km² in 2009, reflecting a reduction of 185.14 km², or an 84% decline from the baseline (Fig. 2. B). This significant loss highlights intense environmental and human-induced stresses on the lake during this period. By 2014, the surface area largely rebounded to 139.05 km², representing an increase of 101.24 km² from 2009. Notwithstanding this rebound, the lake’s area remained 36.9% less than the baseline year. This partial recovery implies a reduction of prior effects but signifies that the lake has not yet reverted to its original condition.

Between 2014 and 2019, the surface area of Lake Hamrin expanded considerably to 306.11 km². This represents an increase of 169.59 km², exceeding the 2004 baseline by 85.69 km². This increase signifies a notable recovery, suggesting successful restoration efforts or advantageous environmental circumstances during this time. In 2024, the lake’s surface area measured 263.43 km², reflecting a little reduction of 42.68 km² since 2019. This region is currently 43.01 km² larger than in 2004, indicating a 13.5% increase from the baseline. The persistent rise, notwithstanding recent variations, indicates a continuous recovery and stabilization of the lake’s surface area.

The fluctuations in shoreline length are also clear examples of the unstable conditions of Lake Hamrin. In 2004, for example, the measured length of the shoreline was 179.22 kilometers. By 2009, it had diminished to 89.32 km, which represents a 50.2% drop from the baseline length. The substantial decrease in shoreline length corresponds with the marked loss in surface area, underscoring the profound effect on the lake’s physical dimensions. As of 2014, the shoreline length reached 172.96 km, reflecting an increase of 6.26 km from 2009. Despite this recovery, the shoreline length remained 6.26 km shorter than in 2004, indicating a 3.5% reduction compared to the baseline. This partial recovery indicates gradual advancement in reinstating shoreline length.

By 2019, the shoreline has significantly increased to 256.59 km, reflecting an augmentation of 77.37 km since 2014. This signifies a 43.2% increase relative to 2004, indicating a substantial recovery in shoreline length in alignment with the lake’s total surface area expansion. By 2024, the shoreline expanded to 286.38 km, indicating a gain of 107.16 km from 2019 and a 59.8% rise compared to 2004. This persistent expansion highlights the lake’s continuous recovery and enhanced circumstances relative to the baseline year (Fig. 3).

Discussion

The changes in the Lake Hamrin water surface area and the shoreline length over the past two decades depict different contraction and expansion phases. The first phase of the water confrontation assessment shows that the preliminary phase from the year 2004 to the year 2009 was a time when the lake had reduced reception capacity and competed with other riparian sectors in terms of water consumption. On the other hand, the later observed stages of recovery show a gradual positive change in the status of the lake, which may imply that conditions that were previously considered to be negative either environmental or management, have improved. A significant rise was observed between 2009-2019 and that depicts that the response of the lake is positive to the recent human interference.

A comparative analysis of the changes in lake surface area presented in the current study alongside historical annual precipitation data in Iraq [20] and Tigris River discharge in Baghdad [21] may uncover a significant correlation regarding lake status development over the past two decades (Fig. 4). Using the year 2004 as a reference point for the three variables (lake surface area, yearly precipitation, and river flow), it is evident that a significant decline in rainfall and Tigris River discharge occurred over the initial five years (from 2004 to 2009). Conversely, a significant rise in rainfall was reported throughout the subsequent decade (from 2009 to 2019). Despite the increase in Tigris River water discharge relative to 2009 during the subsequent decade, these figures remained below typical levels [21]. The Diyala River is a significant tributary of the Tigris (Fig. 1). Consequently, diminished Tigris River levels from 2004 to 2009 may have intensified the strain on the Diyala River and Lake Hamrin. The pressure, along with the general reduction in annual precipitation, may account for the significant decline in the Lake’s surface area during this period. The observed improvement in the lake condition from 2009 to 2019 may be ascribed to the rise in precipitation within the Diyala River basin in Iraq and Iran, together with strategic management actions to mitigate the excessive utilization of reservoir water during this timeframe.

Notwithstanding the present hopeful assessments, it is imperative to emphasize that the condition of the Lake may deteriorate significantly in the forthcoming decades. A significant reduction in rainfall rates is anticipated in the Diyala River basin over the coming decades [22], which would adversely affect the lake. Therefore, strict water supply and demand policies have to be applied in order to maintain a regular availability of water from such close rivers and dams as Diyala River or Darbandikhan Dam. Other ecological rehabilitation activities include provision of aquatic habitat for fish and soil stabilization through afforestation in the catchment area of the lake. Furthermore, since the region is likely to be severely affected by drought in the future as a result of climate change, the adoption of water conservation measures, including the use of efficient water irrigation systems to limit abstraction from the lake is necessary. Therefore, the forecasted deterioration of Lake Hamrin cannot be prevented without the contribution of the community as well as increased awareness about the problem.

Conclusion

This study was able to show that the surface area of Lake Hamrin has declined in the last twenty years and that in the year 2009, the decline was 84 percent. Nonetheless, the study revealed an appreciable uptick in the lake’s surface area in 2019 which has even crossed the baseline level of the year 2004. The shoreline length and surface area of the lake have been changed due to environmental changes and anthropogenic impacts. It may be expected that the state of the lake will gradually worsen in the next decades, given the decrease in rainfall rates in the Diyala River basin. Thus, strict water management actions along with community’s active participation and awareness are necessary to prevent Lake Hamrin from an inevitable declining

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Cite this article:

Ameen, M., Jumaah, H., Khursheed, N. An analysis of hydrologic dynamics in Hamrin Lake, Iraq using remote sensing and GIS techniques. DYSONA – Applied Science, 2025;6(1): 96-103. doi: 10.30493/das.2024.478002