Analysis of Mosul, Iraq Area Land Usage Change Due to Conflict
Presentation Time: Fri, 05/06/2022 - 08:30
Keywords: Land Use Change, Mosul Iraq, Military Conflict, Remote Sensing, Temporal Analysis
Military conflict continues to be incredibly destructive even as modern militaries try to avoid collateral damage more than ever. A side effect of conflict is internally displaced persons or IDPs (people forced to leave their home but still within their borders) and refugees which disrupts the civil recovery of an area after the conflict has passed. Understanding how the level and type of conflict affecting areas, and if or when those areas recover is paramount to returning a region to normalcy. In 2014, Mosul, Iraq was invaded and occupied by ISIS displacing an estimated 500,000 people. Mosul was eventually liberated in 2017 by Iraqi Government Forces after some the heaviest fighting of the conflict. This study examines land use change for the region to identify which areas were most effected, and which have recovered. Utilizing Landsat 8 imagery from 2013 to 2021 and conflict data from The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, the images were classified and compared over time and analyzed with the conflict data to identify changes. The results of this project will be able to help both defense and interior government personnel understand which areas are more effected and correctly proportion critical resources.
