Employing Artificial Intelligence to Enhance the Efficiency of Geographic Information Systems in Selecting Water Harvesting Sites: A Case Study of the Mohammed Awa Basin in Duhok Governorate
الذكاء الاصطناعي في تعزيز كفاءة نظم المعلومات الجغرافية لاختيار مواقع حصاد المياه: دراسة حالة حوض محمد ئاوا في محافظة دهوك
Abstract
This research aims to demonstrate the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing the efficiency of Geographic Information Systems in selecting suitable sites for water harvesting, through a case study of the Mohammed Awa Basin in Duhok Governorate. The importance of the study stems from the growing need to utilize available water resources through accurate scientific methods, especially in areas affected by fluctuating rainfall and increasing demand for water for agricultural and sustainable development purposes.
The research is based on integrating Geographic Information Systems techniques with artificial intelligence methods to analyze a set of natural, hydrological, and topographical criteria that influence the identification of water harvesting sites, such as slope, elevation, soil type, land use, drainage network, drainage density, and rainfall rates. The use of artificial intelligence contributes to improving the accuracy of spatial analysis by processing multiple datasets, detecting complex spatial relationships, and classifying areas according to their suitability for establishing water harvesting structures.
The findings of the study show that the integration of artificial intelligence and Geographic Information Systems provides an effective tool for supporting spatial decision-making. It helps reduce errors resulting from traditional analysis, accelerates the site-selection process, and identifies the most suitable areas from environmental, hydrological, and economic perspectives. The study also indicates that the Mohammed Awa Basin includes several promising sites that can be utilized for water harvesting projects, contributing to improved water resources management, reducing the effects of drought, and supporting agricultural development in the region.
The study recommends adopting intelligent models and geospatial analysis in water planning, updating geographic databases related to drainage basins, and expanding the application of this methodology to other basins in Duhok Governorate, the Kurdistan Region, and Iraq in general.
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