Geomorphology is concerned with the topographic units that make up the Earth's surface. These take many forms, such as mountains and rivers, and include many dangers such as landslides, landslides and erosion. Many studies appeared in this field to analyze its effects and risks resulting from it, including urban studies, to determine the trends of optimal urban expansion and its geomorphological interactions. The results showed that the city of Kut originated and expanded near the course of the Tigris River and its branches, and it suffers from unbalanced urban expansion, due to the high rate of population growth, and overcrowding in housing units with the growth of urban land uses in it, which prompted the city to extend horizontally and vertically and use land New at the expense of the lands and areas surrounding the city of Kut. To do so, this research dealt with determining the trends of current and future urban expansion of the city of Kut, and the detection of geomorphological controls that determine that expansion through the geographical characteristics of the city. The research relied on the descriptive, analytical, historical and quantitative method, collecting data through field studies and relevant government institutions, and using satellite visuals and GIS techniques in analyzing data and drawing conclusions. It has become clear from the research that there are natural determinants represented (rivers, marshes, Sabkha, natural resources) and they outweigh the effect of human determinants represented (orchards and agricultural lands, industrial areas, government and military structures, landfills, quarries and brick factories), which is due to poor planning. The override on the city’s base map scheme, and therefore these determinants restrict that expansion or increase its cost, determine its direction and reduce the city’s absorptive capacity. As for the best available directions for the future urban expansion of the city, they are towards the northwest along the (Kut-Baghdad) road, and towards the southeast along the (Kut-Nasiriya) road, because there are no geomorphic or human determinants that impede the spatial expansion of the city towards it. Thus, defining and measuring the trend of urban expansion will be faced with the various natural-geomorphological determinants, which must be considered among the priorities of any strategic plan for developing urban areas, and protecting them from geomorphological risks.
This work is licensed under a