Geographical analysis of the environmental distribution of the population in Kifri district between the years (1977-2019)

Abstract

The environmental distribution of the population in Kafri District for the period between 1977 and 2019 is one of the main pillars of the subject of population geography, as it illustrates the relationship between the population and their place of residence. This study attempts to shed light on the changes that occurred in the district's population, as well as to identify and analyze the factors behind these changes. Given the importance of the topic and the influence of the study area (Kafri District), which borders areas under the control of the Iraqi government, political factors have historically played a role in the environmental distribution of the population in Kafri District, because any political and military instability had an impact on the study area. For example, in 1987, at the start of the Anfal campaigns by the Baath regime, most villages were destroyed, and their inhabitants were forcibly relocated to collective settlements.

The aim of the study lies in showing the variation in the environmental distribution of the population of Kafri District, clarifying the role of various factors, whether natural or human, in the district, as well as the environmental changes, and presenting these changes through maps, images, and tables in order to reach the study's conclusions. Additionally, it aims to achieve balance in the environmental distribution of the population in the district so that officials can benefit from it when developing any plan aimed at developing, revitalizing, and advancing the area.

Every scientific research requires multiple methodologies, so in this study, I used the (analytical and comparative) methodology. This study reached several conclusions, including the change in the proportion of urban population in Kafri district, where the urban population percentage in 1977 was 33% of the total district population. However, this percentage rose in 2019 to 66%, because Kafri district serves as a center for most diverse services, which is considered a major factor in attractingpeople.

The rural population declined during the study period, with the rural population percentage in 1977 being 67%, but this percentage decreased significantly in 2019 to 34% due to the political situation in the region and the relocation of its residents to forced settlements.

The distribution of urban and rural populations varied between administrative units. In 1977, the population of the central subdistrict accounted for 92% of the total urban population in the subdistrict, while the rural population was 8%, resulting in an 84% difference, which is substantial. Similarly, in 2019, the urban population reached 98%, whereas the rural population was 2%, making the difference 96%, which is a high percentage. This is due to the migration of people from villages to administrative units.

Population change indicators differ between urban and rural areas from year to year, with this variation being greater in rural areas than in urban areas. It is also observed that change indicators in urban areas always represent a set of positive values, whereas in rural areas they were negative values, reaching 79.2 people during the study years (1977-2019). In urban areas, this rises to 602.8 people, then decreases in rural areas to reach -523 people. More clearly, the extent of variation between population growth index values at the level of the district population in general, and in urban and rural areas in particular, can be expressed through population change ratio indicators. The percentage change in the district population during the study years was 61.2%, the percentage change in the urban population was 152.6%, while in rural areas this percentage reached 53-%.