Assessment of air quality and consequent in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan region based GEE, GIS, and remote sensing techniques

Abstract

The global peril of air quality deterioration imperils the well-being of all living beings. Erbil, like many other regions, has suffered severe environmental degradation due to urban expansion, vehicular escalation, industrialisation, and substandard fuel usage. This research employs Google Earth Engine, GIS, and Remote Sensing to scrutinise alterations in pollutants (NO2, SO2, CH4, CO, O3, UV) spanning 2018 to 2022. It also incorporates PM2.5 data from Ankawa station (Jan 14, 2023 - May 4, 2023) and land use data (2005-2022) from Modis and Sentinel 2 satellites. The findings reveal a substantial increase in the levels of various pollutants during the specified period. However, in June 2020, most of these levels experienced a decrease due to the coronavirus quarantine measures. For instance, the concentration of NO2 decreased from 0.000256 mol/m2 in 2018 to 0.000166 mol/m2 in 2020. Conversely, by June 2022, the levels had significantly risen to 0.000277 mol/m2. Moreover, among the 107 days record, PM2.5 concentrations reached unhealthy levels on 44 days, while only five exhibited healthy PM2.5 levels. Furthermore, regions at lower sea levels, like Erbil and Khabat, exhibit the highest concentrations of these gases. In contrast, areas at higher sea levels, such as Mergasur and Choman, demonstrate these pollutants’ lowest levels.