Iraq territory as a whole and south of Iraq in particular encountered rapid desertification and signs of severe land degradation in the last decades. Both natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for the extent of desertification. Remote sensing data and image analysis tools were employed to identify, detect, and monitor desertification in Basra governorate. Different remote sensing indicators and image indices were applied in order to better identify the desertification development in the study area, including the Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Salinity index (SI), Top Soil Grain Size Index (GSI) , Land Surface Temperature (LST) , Land Surface Soil Moisture (LSM), and Land Degradation Risk Index (LDI) which was used for the assessment of degradation severity .Three Landsat images, acquired in 1973, 1993, and 2013, were used to evaluate the potential of using remote sensing analysis in desertification monitoring. The approach applied in this study for evaluating this phenomenon was proven to be an effective tool for the recognition of areas at risk of desertification. The results indicated that the arid zone of Basra governorate encounters substantial changes in the environment, such as decreasing surface water, degradation of agricultural lands (as palm orchards and crops), and deterioration of marshlands. Additional changes include increased salinization with the creeping of sand dunes to agricultural areas, as well as the impacts of oil fields and other facilities.

A structural and engineering geological study of rock slope stability was carried out in six stations that lie in the Southwest of Baranan mountain, along Sirwan road. The rock slopes and discontinuities were surveyed at each of these stations, and the relationships with failures were determined. The slopes were classified on the basis of (Al-Saadi, 1981), and the rocks were described in engineering terms according to (Anon, 1972) and (Hawkins, 1986), Stereographic projection was made using software (GEOrient 9.5.0) to represent the field data that were recorded in order to understand the situation in the six stations (sites) that were chosen along Sirwan road near Darbandikhan dam, the failures' types were recorded during field study were rock fall, toppling, and sliding. The study also revealed that the factors affecting slope stability in the study area were slope angle, height, dip of strata, and discontinuities. The laboratory test of the rock samples (point-load test) showed that the average value of compressive strength of the rock for the study area is about 181.29 MPa.Some measures are proposed to stabilize the slopes in the mentioned stations including; the removal of blocks liable to toppling in the critical cases (sites 2 and 6), casing the slopes with covenant materials such as concrete (site 4) and gabions (sites 2 and 6), with construction of retaining walls and digging of protective trenches to protect the slopes and reduce their hazard on the road (site 1, 3, and 5).

The Injana field area is located to the north of Baquba city within Diyala. which was studied and interpreted by using 2D seismic data from the Oil Exploration Company. The study was concerned with the Jeribe Formation which is located within the Injana field area and belongs to the Tertiary Age. Two reflectors were detected based on synthetic seismograms and well logs of the Khashim Al-Ahmer-2 well. The structural maps were derived from seismic reflection interpretations to determine the location and direction of the basin. The depth maps were conducted depending upon the structural interpretation of the picked reflectors to show several structural features. Structurally, seismic sections show that the Injana area is affected by two types of reverse fault systems trending in a NW-SE direction, the first represents thrust faults affected on the lower Fars (Red Beds & Seepage) and the layers above it, the salt bed within Lower Fars Formation being as a detachment surface of this fault, the second represents two reverse faults affected on the bottom part of the Lower Fars (Transition beds) and the layers beneath. In addition, the reverse faults become dense in the north part. The structural maps reveal an elongated asymmetrical narrow anticline affected by one major thrust fault at Lower Fars Formation, and an elongated asymmetrical narrow anticline surrounded by two major reverse faults and consisting of three domes separated, Injana, Khashim Al-Ahmer and Khashab domes at the Jeribe Formation.

Engineering Geological study of rock slope stability was conducted in two stations along the Shaqlawa region route. Rock slopes and discontinuities were thoroughly investigated at each site, and the linkages between failures were identified. The marly limestone rocks were defined in engineering terms, and rockfall and rolling were the sorts of failures seen during the field investigation. Slope angle and height, stratum dip, differential weathering and erosion, and discontinuities were all identified as variables impacting slope stability in the research region. The compressive strength of the rock for the research region ranges between 96.31–109.87 according to laboratory testing of rock samples (Point –load test). MPa. When the Bejerman (1998) Landslide Possibility Index classification is used in the study region, it reveals that the slope in the first station is in category VI of the very high Landslide Possibility Index and the slope in the second station is in category V of high Landslide Possibility Index. Both stations have a high level of risk associated with the Landslide Possibility Index. Slopes might benefit from some remedial actions, such as the removal of unstable stones and the installation of retaining walls, to prevent further failures and protect the slopes in the future.