The Capability Of Agricultural Land in Zakho District

Abstract

The assessment of agricultural land capability holds fundamental importance in applied geography, serving as a primary pillar for guiding the optimal utilization of natural resources and achieving sustainable food security. The research problem centers on monitoring the pronounced spatial variation in agricultural land productivity across Zakho District (covering an area of 1,486 km²), despite the abundance of its natural and water resources. The study proceeds from the hypothesis that this spatial disparity is directly attributed to the diversity of geomorphological, climatic, pedological (soil), and hydrographic determinants in the region.

This research aims to classify the district's lands and evaluate their productive capacity according to the global United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) land capability classification system, thereby identifying the optimal land use for each class in alignment with the local environment. To achieve this, the study adopts a descriptive and analytical geographical approach based on integrating field data and processing it digitally within an ArcGIS 10.8 environment, utilizing Digital Elevation Models (DEM).

The results of the spatial analysis revealed a precise classification of the district's lands into eight capability classes. Class I, which is free of constraints and highly suitable for very intensive agriculture, accounted for 16.5%, concentrated in the Sindi Plain and the floodplains of the Khabour River. Class II (suitable for intensive agriculture with minor limitations such as erosion and flooding) ranked first in terms of area, covering 25.7%. Meanwhile, Class III, characterized by moderate capability, covered the foothills zone at a rate of 18.2%, and Class IV, featuring limited productivity and shallow soils, constituted 11.1%. Conversely, the remaining classes (Classes V to VIII) shifted toward marginal uses, grazing, tourism, and nature reserves due to steep slopes, rugged terrain, and severe soil erosion. The study recommends the necessity of adopting this classification as a roadmap for planners and decision-makers to guide sustainable agricultural development in the region.