Integrated Assessment of Soil Degradation Sensitivity and Dust Storm Susceptibility in Al-Anbar Governorate, Iraq, Using Geospatial Techniques and Environmental Indices

Purpose- Land degradation and severe dust storm dynamics represent major environmental threats in arid and semi-arid zones across the Middle East. Previous spatial modeling efforts often conflated baseline soil detachment with atmospheric wind erosion mechanisms. In this study, we present a re-framed conceptual framework that explicitly decouples baseline water-induced topsoil degradation sensitivity, quantified using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) from wind-driven dust storm susceptibility modeled via ERA۵-Land wind velocity vectors, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), and Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI). Design/methodology/approach- The entire analysis was systematically executed across the Al-Anbar Governorate, Iraq (total area ≈ ۱۳۸,۵۰۰ km²). Input datasets including ASTER Global Digital Elevation (GDEM) with a ۳۰m resolution, Landsat ۸/۹ OLI, MODIS AOD, and ERA۵-Land climate reanalysis were resampled to a standardized ۳۰ m spatial resolution grid. Model validation was conducted using empirical soil loss observations from seven (۷) field soil sampling profiles across diverse geomorphic units, yielding robust goodness-of-fit statistics (R² = ۰.۷۸, RMSE = ۱.۱۲ t/ha/year, MAE = ۰.۸۹ t/ha/year). Finding- The standardized results indicate a governorate-wide mean soil erosion rate of ۵.۳۳ t/ha/year. High to very high erosion susceptibility zones (covering ۲۸.۴% of the governorate) are concentrated along degraded plateau margins and unmanaged alluvial terraces. Furthermore, eco-hydrological analysis validates while lower annual precipitation reduces RUSLE water erosivity (R-factor), it severely exacerbates topsoil desiccation and degrades vegetation cover (elevating C-factor to ۰.۶۰ in bare lands), thus fueling wind-driven dust emissions. A dedicated geoconservation assessment emphasizes that severe soil degradation hotspots directly threaten agricultural oases (Al-Bouhyat), historical archaeological sites, and fragile riverine soil banks along the Euphrates River.

کلیدواژه ها:

Al-Anbar Governorate ، Soil Degradation Sensitivity ، RUSLE Framework ، Dust Storm Susceptibility ، ۷ Soil Profiles Validation ، Geoconservation