Integrated index analysis for monitoring urban growth based on GIS and remote sensing data in Karbala province, Iraq

Remote sensing techniques and GIS were used in this study to monitor urban growth in Karbala Governorate, Iraq. A compiled database was created from available Multi-temporal Landsat (TM, ETM+ and OLI) data from 2000 to 2018. The near infrared (NIR), visible red (R), and short infrared (SWIR) wavelength areas covered by Landsat bands have been used to generate spectral indices known as the Normalized Difference Built-Up Index (NDBI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Normalized Difference Salinity Index (NDSI). Images of the Landsat 7 and 8 satellites that were free to download from the USGS website between the years of 2000 and 2018 were the data used in this study. The layers were classified and merged to reveal the dynamic changes of land cover in the study area. The result shows that the built-up area increased from 264.75 km2 in 2000 to 391.23 km2 in 2018, indicating an increase over 18 years, but over the same period, the amount of water decreased.