Abstract
Water resource management and the investigation of the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water is important in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The growing population, as well as agricultural and industrial projects, consume huge amounts of water, especially groundwater. A total of 572 ground and surface water samples were collected for physicochemical analysis to determine the availability and quality of the water in the Kurdistan region. The physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids were analyzed to evaluate the suitability of the water for different purposes like livestock, irrigation, and agriculture. GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was used to determine the suitability map of water for irrigation purposes. Most of the groundwater samples were suitable for irrigation except for some samples from Erbil City, especially those taken in the Makhmur district, and samples from some small areas in the cities of Sulaymania and Duhok. All groundwater samples were acceptable for all types of agricultural crops, except for 15 well samples that were determined not to be usable for fruit crops. However, this water was acceptable for livestock and poultry. Most of the water wells provided freshwater except for 36 deep wells, which supplied slightly brackish to brackish water. Water samples were found to have low to medium salinity levels except for 26 well samples and one spring sample that had high salinity levels, and 2 well samples with very high salinity levels. Most of the samples had an excellent to good water classification except for 85 samples classified as permissible, 8 classified as doubtful, and 4 classified as unsuitable for irrigation according to the Todd classification. According to the Rhoades classification, all water samples were non-saline to slightly saline except for 11 samples that were moderately saline.
Highlights
Water is considered the most important resource to consider when trying to achieve sustainable agricultural development worldwide
Erbil City, 7 well samples from Sulaymania City, 52 well samples from Duhok City, and well samples from Halabja City that could potentially have harmful effects on crops that are sensitive to salinity
This study examined water quality and availability as well as water use for different purposes and the suitability of water for irrigation in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Summary
Water is considered the most important resource to consider when trying to achieve sustainable agricultural development worldwide. Improving the management of water supplies and concentrating on reducing water consumption are both necessary in order to establish sustainable and efficient agricultural systems, especially more efficient irrigation systems. Agricultural activities must concentrate on both the quantity and quality of water to prevent water contamination, unsustainable usage, land loss, and desertification. The Mediterranean region is one of the most sensitive areas in the world, with significant decreases in rainfall and increases in temperature expected in the future [1,2]. Especially during the dry season, surface water and groundwater are used more frequently to increase crop production. Improvements in water management are necessary to increase and diversify
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