مجلة الاربعين المحكمة
Green belts are an important environmental solution for combating desertification and mitigating the effects of climate change, especially in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iraq. This research aims to identify the optimal locations for establishing a sustainable green belt along the Baghdad-Karbala Road, using remote sensing, satellite, and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques. This road represents a vital axis witnessing rapid urban expansion and a major route for millions of pilgrims during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. This places significant pressure on the local environment and infrastructure, necessitating science-based planning interventions to ensure sustainable visitor services. Satellite imagery (such as Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2) from the recent period (2023–2024) was used, and a set of spectral indices, including the NDVI (Natural Color Vividness Index), the BSI (Aridity Index), and the NDMI (Natural Color Moisture Index), were applied to assess the environmental condition of the lands adjacent to the road. The terrain was also analyzed using a digital elevation model (DEM) to determine the appropriate slopes and levels for agriculture, taking into account factors such as wind direction and speed, the level of urban expansion, and nearby groundwater or surface water sources. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology was adopted within a GIS environment to identify the most suitable areas, with each criterion weighted according to its environmental and logistical importance using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The analysis results showed that the areas located southwest of Latifiya city and north of Alexandria are among the environmentally promising areas for establishing a green belt. These areas recorded the highest values in NDVI and the lowest in BSI, with flat terrain and relative proximity to water sources. The study also demonstrated that the areas within Babil Governorat