This study investigates the changes occurring in the province of Basra using geospatial methods and analyzes the variations in land surface temperature among the various types of land cover. For the months of July and December in the years 2013 and 2021, Landsat images were used in Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS, and satellite images were processed using ArcGIS 10.8 software. The study's categories for land use and land cover were generated through the application of supervised classification techniques, and the land surface temperature was calculated using data from a satellite sensor's brightness temperature. According to the study's findings, there has been an increase in urban areas (including barren land). From 2013 to 2021, a greater correlation between urban land and LST was found, indicating an increasing surface urban heat island effect as evidenced by its statistically significant correlation coefficients.It has a significant impact on the variations in land surface temperature.This study also highlighted the key variations in how land use and cover affect LST. Across all time periods of investigation. Therefore, techniques for remote sensing and geographic information systems are useful for tracking and analyzing urban expansion patterns and assessing their effects on land surface temperature.

Indiscriminate allocation of farm farmlands beyond efficient level affect farmers return, hence suitability and standard value of lands for cassava production for optimal use were investigated. Data were obtained using a multi-stage sampling technique, from a sample of 203 cassava farmers in the state and were analysed using descriptive statistics, land productivity ratio and econonometric tools. Most farmers are female of 55.7 6.8 years of age and post primary education status. Nutrient ammendment is at the rate of 442.36 ± 102.73 Kg/Ha and at mean cost of N36401.77 ± 28575.84/Ha. The performance rate of 0.96 tons/person/Ha was obtained. The suitability index ranges from 0.139 to 0.908 with 46.3% cultivating on non-suitable land of 0.0-0.339 while only 20.7% cultivated on suitable lands of above 0.723 suitability index with a smaller mean area of 1.48Ha. The performance rate across these classes of land ranges from 0.44 tons/Ha/person to 2.11 tons/Ha/person for non-suitable land and suitable lands respectively. Suitable lands had the highest land productivity of 5.71 while moderate and non suitable lands had only 4.00 and 3.72 respectively, hence about 53.4% and only 7.5% increase in production is achieved as a piece of land is improved from non-suitable and moderately suiatble lands respectively to suitable land in the area. The MVP ranges from N302429.76/Ha for non-suitable lands to N718535.2/Ha for suitable lands. The study noted that suitable lands have higher opportunity cost than others for cassava production, hence recommentds that opportunity cost of land must be based on higher MVP for optimal use.

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