A doctoral dissertation at the University of Basrah examines the best potential sites for water harvesting reservoirs in northern Iraq

A doctoral dissertation at the University of Basrah examines the best potential sites for water harvesting reservoirs in northern Iraq

A doctoral dissertation at the College of Engineering, University of Basrah, investigated the best potential locations for reservoirs and dams suitable for water harvesting in northern Iraq.

The dissertation, submitted by student Zahraa Hussein Obeid, aims to analyze rainfall data using satellite imagery, identify optimal rainfall distribution methods, study watershed characteristics, and select the most suitable sites for dam construction through advanced techniques such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).

The dissertation included five chapters, in which the student identified more than 60 suitable sites for dam construction to collect rainwater. The study estimated harvested water volumes of 25.23 billion cubic meters for a 5-year return period and 40.78 billion cubic meters for a 100-year return period. The findings indicate that harvested water represents only 25% of the total available water in northern Iraq’s watersheds. Nevertheless, this harvested water would be sufficient to meet the needs of more than 97 million people in Iraq and could remain adequate until the year 2100.

Department of Media and Governmental Communication