The reality of groundwater in Kirkuk Governorate under climate change, increasing demand for groundwater, by using of artificial intelligence to better management groundwater in the governorate

Abstract

Due to global climate change, which has affected all natural phenomena, including groundwater, which has doubled and groundwater levels have decreased significantly in Kirkuk Governorate, there is a lack of rainfall and a high demand for groundwater, which has caused groundwater levels to decrease significantly. Therefore, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to determine groundwater levels and improve groundwater quality has become a current need and a demand for its use to find appropriate methods for better groundwater management in Kirkuk Governorate. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing software to create maps and charts of groundwater levels in different periods (2001-2005), (2006-2010), (2011-2015), (2016-2020) and (2021-2025) and the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the same period mentioned above. For this purpose, data were integrated to know the rate of fluctuation of groundwater level during the period from 2001 to 2025 using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) technique based on GIS to create water level maps. The results showed that groundwater levels have decreased significantly due to global climate change, and total dissolved solids (TDS) in groundwater have increased due to low rainfall in the past few years (drought). The study showed a decrease in all five stages in Kirkuk Governorate, with the situation being worst in the areas of Qarahanjir, Goldara, Shwan, Hawija, Laylan, and Daquq, where groundwater was rapidly depleted. Based on the results, groundwater levels fluctuated between 52 and 90 meters in the areas of Qara Hanjir, Goldara, and Laylan, and between 55 and 105 meters in the areas of the center of Daquq district and its surroundings, Rashad sub-district, Mir Isfahan sub-district, Qara Salem, the center of Shwan sub-district, and south of Kirkuk city towards Hamrin. Groundwater levels were found to fluctuate within a relatively narrow range of 15–36 meters in the Hawija and Dibis districts, and between 18 and 40 meters in the areas north and northeast of Shwan sub-district, Kirkuk city center, Taza Khurmatu sub-district, and Riyadh and Abbasi sub-districts, respectively. The primary cause of this decline in groundwater levels was the pumping of tube wells from groundwater resources, which exceeded natural recharge. Furthermore, rapid urbanization has led to a decline in the rate of infiltration in recent years. Therefore, the use of artificial intelligence to identify areas where groundwater levels have fallen and to find the necessary groundwater management solutions is both beneficial and necessary, resulting in accurate and cost-effective information and informed decision-making in addressing the water shortage problem in Kirkuk Governorate