Research conducted in the Erbil Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq from 1998 to 2017 aims to determine the frequency and intensity of drought, highlighting its diverse effects on society, encompassing the economy, agriculture, environment, and local community. Indicators, for instance, the Land Surface Temperature (LST) obtained from satellite data (Landsat) and the Vegetation Health Index (VHI), were employed to evaluate the severity of droughts. The outcomes indicated that Erbil encountered severe droughts in 1999, 2000, and 2008, which resulted in a significant decrease in crop outcomes. Additionally, 2008 was marked by escalating drought conditions, as measured by VHI values exceeding 40; as a result, the percentages reached (86.5%, 67.6%, and 53.7%), respectively. Significant relationships were revealed, with a confidence level of 0.9, between VHI and various factors such as precipitation, LST, and crop yield, with corresponding degrees of (-0.612, 0.615, 0.613, and 0.635). The study also disclosed that alterations and decreases in precipitation occur as the growing season progresses, whereas the following years (2000, 2008, and 2012) saw a pronounced decline in yield, failing to meet the lower limit of water demands for crops. Moreover, the most affected locations in Erbil Province were found to be in the central and southwestern parts of the province

The aim of this work was to estimate the growth of Laurus nobilis seedlings under different levels, period of water and its interaction with NPK. Different amounts of water (150, 300 and 400) ml/polyethylene bag and irrigation intervals (two different scales are considered, once per week and once per two weeks) were used in addition to different amounts of NPK (zero (control), 500, 1000 ppm). Multi‐measurements and strategy was utilized for measuring stem length, stem diameter, root length, root diameter, moisture content, stem wet weight, stem dry weight, root wet weight, root dry weight and shoot root ratio. The results showed that bay seedlings had significantly affected by water amount (150ml) as well as water period (once per two weeks). Water deficit is therefore more commonly limiting seedlings growth than NPK through growing season. Therefore, sensitivity of bay seedlings to limitation water has indicated that decreasing in stem length, stem diameter, number of leaves, root diameter, moisture content, stem wet weight, stem dry weight, root wet weight, root dry weight and root shoot ratio (12.56cm, 3.35mm, 17, 3.66mm, 3.67%, 5.42g, 5.59g, 5.96g, 4.99g, 0.05). However, seedlings with three interaction (450ml, once/week and 1000ppm) had displayed significant differences through stem length, number of leaves, root diameter, moisture content, stem wet weight, stem dry weight, and root wet weight, root dry weight and root shoot ratio (28.16cm, 29, 6.57mm, 19.33%, 11.85g, 8.35g, 8.10g, 6.26g, 1.37 respectively). It is concluded that Laurus nobilis seedlings could not success in this area, especially under low water availability.

The Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) measures of the relative wetness or dryness of a given area of land based on its topography. This index is frequently used to evaluate hydrology and ecology studies. This study examined the association between TWI and vegetation distribution using a number of remote sensing techniques. The study was identified patterns in the data and based statistical analyses to assess the strength and significance of the relationship between TWI and vegetation statues. The result is shown this forest cover patterns are influenced by various environmental factors, including topography, and moisture levels. It is also involved comparing vegetation cover in areas with different TWI values or analyzing the relationship between TWI and other topographical variables such as slope, aspect, and elevation. A significant vegetation variation was found between slope aspects in vegetation distribution. It was revealed that (78%) of a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was affected by together aspects and TWI, which may be due to a significant association between (NDVI), but this parameter was also highly influenced by slope and DEM because (17%) of the vegetation cover was obtained within these two factors.