Assessment of renewable energy suitability and development constraints in Iraq

This nationwide study employs a spatial multi-criteria evaluation implemented in ArcGIS Model Builder to balance renewable-energy potential, ecosystem-service supply and development impacts. The analysis covers the entire of Iraq at 30 m resolution. The analysis of data identified suitable areas for renewable energy projects, including solar farms and biomass production, taking into account environmental, socio-economic, and land-use factors on the basis of four levels. The results give a more detailed land suitability classification for solar farms, using a four-class scheme according to the possible impact on ecosystem services. The results show that 49% of the analyzed areas are suitable for both biomass and solar farms, while 6 % are suitable exclusively for solar energy, and 45 % are not suitable for either. Under the ecosystem services trade-off analysis, 82% of the land has good suitability for balancing agricultural biomass production with water services; 10% has intermediate suitability, and 8% is not suitable. In the case of solar energy, the analysis found that 14% of the land is highly suitable, 70% moderately suitable, 11% with lower suitability, and 5% least suitable. The analyses also provide further details on the effect of policy and regulatory frameworks. For agricultural biomass 44% of the areas have no constraints, 50% are affected by policy constraints without substantial ecosystem services trade-offs, and 3% by both constraints and trade-offs. For solar farms, 40% of the areas are free of constraints, 14% are affected by ecosystem services trade-offs, 42% by policy constraints without substantial ecosystem services impacts and 7% by both constraints and trade-offs. • A GIS-based framework assessed the complexity of renewable energy expansion and ecosystem integration in Iraq. • Spatial analysis categorized land for solar farms and biomass production based on environmental and socio-economic criteria. • 49% of land is suitable for both solar and biomass; 6% for solar only; 45% unsuitable for either energy type. • 82% of lands balanced agricultural biomass and water services; 14% highly suitable for solar energy development. • 40% of solar farm areas are unconstrained; 42% have policy constraints with negligible ecosystem impacts.