Abstract

Due to the intensive growth of cities, the industrial pollution, the oil production processes, the crowding of traffic jams, and the dust storms that become more frequent every day, air pollution in Iraq is turning into one of the most serious environmental and health issues of the country. This paper uses remote sensed satellite data as incorporated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to evaluate the prevailing condition of air quality in Iraq. The sensor data (NO2, and SO2) of Sentinel-5P and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) of MODIS were handled to identify the spatial and temporal changes in atmospheric pollutants in the latest monitoring duration. The GIS technique of spatial analysis, interpolation, hotspot mapping, time trend analysis and correlation with land-use patterns were used to determine the pollution hotspots in large cities like Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul. Findings indicated that there were increasing concentrations of NO2 and SO2 in the areas surrounding industries and oil-producing areas and high values of AOD were always recorded during the dust-storming season which was the most active in the central and western parts of Iraq. Combination of satellite data with GIS offered a complete, factual picture of distribution of pollution in regions that did not have ground-based monitoring stations. The study identifies the necessity of remote sensing and GIS technologies in aiding the national air-quality assessment and environmental policy, as well as the early-warning systems in Iraq.