Urban Planning of Desert Human Settlements in Iraq

Preparing desert cities according to the dimensions of sustainable development - the new city of Hassi Messaoud, Algeria, as a model [1].

The research aimed to shed light on the relationship between desert cities and sustainability. It concluded that the city represents a model that achieves integration between sustainable development and the desert environment, embodied through the urban structure and the attempt to invest in the natural environment without depletion or pollution, with a recommendation to invest in clean energy (wind and solar energy).

Tourism Development Strategy in Anbar Governorate [2]: This research addressed the importance of tourism in the desert governorate of Anbar in Iraq, identifying its natural resources and tourism infrastructure, and then presenting models of desert areas that were able to establish sustainable cities, such as the Desert Rose model in the city of Al-Ruwayyah in the Emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which is a sustainable, multi-use city, shaped like a rose in the desert, which helps it reduce electricity consumption, and depends on renewable energy that it will produce itself. The city also includes its own facility for recycling waste.

The reality and trends of urban growth of small cities in Al-Mahawil District [3]: This research sheds light on the repeated neglect of development programs and strategic plans for small cities with population sizes ranging between 5,000 and 20,000 people, which were represented by three regions (Nile, Project, Imam). The research also addressed the reasons for growth that are not subject to geographical controls, indicating that human, economic, demographic, historical and political factors play a role in the emergence of cities. The research also showed the future vision for urban growth and the need for land in the year 2025 AD, identifying the trends that stand in the way of urban expansion of the cities of the study area and determining the appropriate directions for their growth.

A study in Regional Geography of Al-Nukhayb District [4]: The research aimed to address the geographical character of Al-Nukhayb District, reveal the economic and social activities, clarify the existing reality and identify the obstacles that prevent the development of the district in all fields. The research also concluded that the district was a small village and by an administrative decision it was transformed into a district and was not a place of stability and residence to a large extent, but rather a place of migration and movement. It also suffers from many problems at the service level. On the other hand, the district’s territory contains many geographical resources and potentials that can be invested for development purposes.

4.1 Urban land uses in the city of Al-Nukhayb and future needs

The city of Al-Nukhayb is considered a small city according to the Iraqi index, which defines it as a city with a population of 25,000 [9], while its 2023 population reached 2,414 [10]. The urban land use area is 1,098 hectares, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 2.

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Figure 2. Urban land use in the city of Al-Nukhayb for the year 2019 [11]

Table 1. Land use area in Al-Nukhayb City in 2023 and per capita share (m²) by 2023, 2030 [12-14]

The areas of each urban land use in the city of Al-Nukhayb for the year 2023 and their geographical distribution, in addition to the individual share and the standard of person share of each use, to show that the individual share of all uses exceeds the local planning standard mentioned in the same table. The urban land use in the city will be studied as follows:

First: Residential use: This use in the city of Al-Nukhayb occupied an area of 514,033 m² (51.4 ha), representing 4.6% of the total area. The city included 11 residential neighborhoods and 313 residential houses occupied by 557 families.

Second: Commercial use: The commercial use area in the city of Al-Nukhayb amounted to 566,698 m², equivalent to 56.7 hectares, representing 5.1% of the city's total area, comprising 16 commercial establishments, ranging from food and construction materials to other goods.

Third: Industrial use: The area in the city of Al-Nukhayb amounted to 167,146 m², equivalent to 16.7 hectares, representing 1.5% of the total urban land use area, comprising 18 industrial establishments, including auto and home appliance repair shops, one blacksmith shop, and one concrete block production plant.

Fourth: Land use for transportation purposes: It occupied an area of 4,211,000 m², equivalent to 421.1 hectares, constituting 38.3% of the city's total area.

Fifth: Service use: It includes:

1. Religious use: Its area reached 40,800 m², equivalent to 4.1 hectares, and a percentage of 0.37% of the total area. This area was occupied by only one mosque (Al-Ihsan Mosque).
2. Land uses for infrastructure services and public buildings, which occupied an area of 1,052,909 m², equivalent to 105.3 hectares, and a percentage of 9.5% of the total land use area. Which included a number of governmental institutions, the number of which reached 13 institutions, and the most important infrastructure services such as potable water services represented by the Nukhayb Water Division, which has two stations for desalination and purification of groundwater, Station No. (1) and Station No. (2), which supply the city with a rate of 1280 m³/day of potable water [15]. It was noted during the field study that there are a number of residents who own private wells inside their residential homes to compensate for the shortage of water during the period of its interruption. Electricity services: As the city's national electricity supply has been completely depleted, the state has resorted to supplying the city with two government-run generators with a production capacity of 1000 kVA [16], supplying the city with 9 hours of electricity in the summer, divided between 12 pm–6 pm and 6 pm–12 am. Operation in the winter only occurs at night for 6 hours from 6 pm–12 am. The city is also equipped with an electrical wiring network that reaches all residential buildings. As for sewage services, they are completely devoid of a network.

Sixth: Community services, which include:

1. Health land uses: The area of health land uses in the city of Al-Nukhayb amounted to 129,946 m², equivalent to 19 hectares, representing 1.1% of the total area, represented by the Al-Nukhayb Health Center, which included a medical staff of 4 individuals compared to 3 health professionals. In addition to one private sector medical clinic in the same neighborhood with only one medical assistant working [17]. When compared with the Iraqi planning standards, it becomes clear that the city has enough health center in it according to the local surveying standard that determined the need of the residential neighborhood with a population of 10,000 people for one health center with an area of no less than 5,000 m² [18]. As for the other standards, they vary, as shown in Table 2.
2. Educational land uses: Its area reached 425821 m², equivalent to 42.6 hectares, at a rate of 3.8% of the total area. It included three schools, in which 1085 students study, as shown in Table 3. When comparing the reality with the local planning standards, it appears that the city is sufficient in the number of schools according to the surveying standard that specified one primary school for every 2,500 people with an area of 5,000-6,000 m², and one secondary school for every 5000 people [19], while there is a discrepancy in the other local standards, as shown in Table 4.
3. Recreational land uses: Recreational and green land uses in the city of Al-Nukhayb occupied an area of 2,132,471 m², 213.2 hectares, equivalent to 11.8% of the total land use area. This area represented the green strips on the sides of the roads and some internal gardens that need sustainable care. The city lacks all the local recreational services mentioned in Table 5, which require a certain population to establish them.

Table 2. Iraqi standards for health services [20]

Table 3. Educational services in the city of Al-Nukhayb [21]

Table 4. Local planning standards for educational services [22]

Table 5. Local planning standards for recreational services [23]

As for the future need for urban land, it is necessary to determine it in order to create sustainable urban development that guarantees the needs of future generations. To estimate the expected population of the city of Al-Nukhayb, the year 2030 AD was chosen as the target year in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (2030 SDGS), and according to the population projection equation, the population will reach 4704 people [24], and according to the data in Table 5, urban land uses will be able to contain this population.

4.2 Applying the Delphi method to achieve sustainable urban development in the city of Al-Nukhayb

This method has been used in some geographical studies, particularly those on future trends, concerned with organizing space through the modern approach to geographical research, which is concerned with the geography of development, which is interested in studying space, economic activities, and the potential and obstacles to future development. It was possible to use the Delphi method, which is one of the most important means of prediction and forecasting, by selecting the best alternative determined by the researcher or experts [25].

The basic idea of this method is to prioritize group opinion over personal opinion. By presenting several preliminary alternatives for sustainable urban development in the city of Al-Nukhayb, experts compare them according to the intentional sampling method and the first (inductive) and second (weighted) rounds, as shown in Table 6.

Table 6. Some information about the respondents (experts) participating in the first and second rounds of the questionnaire

4.2.1 Proposed alternatives for sustainable urban development in the City of Al-Nukhayb

The first alternative: Desert Rose City

A sustainable, multi-use city shaped like a desert rose, which helps reduce electricity consumption and relies on self-generated renewable energy. The city also includes its own waste recycling facility, similar to the Sustainable City in the Al Ruwayyah area of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates [26].

The second alternative: Water City

The concept of the Water City is based on treating wastewater using an advanced treatment system and then reusing it to irrigate crops, contributing to environmental sustainability and ensuring the provision of clean water to citizens. This alternative achieved environmental sustainability when implemented in Stockholm [27].

The third alternative: Smart Sustainable City

An innovative city that relies on information and communications technology and other means to improve the efficiency of urban services, enhance quality of life, and enhance competitiveness, while ensuring the provision of the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations [28].

The fourth alternative: The Productive City

It is the city that adopts environmental improvement and restores the relationship with the natural environment system, on which it depends to obtain the materials necessary for the continuity of the lives of its residents, and maintains mutual relations and interests with the surrounding unused lands by improving and increasing the production of the ecosystem in service of the city [29]. That is, transforming the city into a center of production rather than consumption, in addition to developing urban projects and infrastructure to increase and improve the level of self-sufficiency of the city in food, water and energy, and exploiting the semi-urban areas surrounding cities to achieve this, while increasing urban flexibility [30]:

4.2.2 Questionnaire method

The study employs two types of questionnaires, which are commonly used in the Delphi method [31].

1. The open questionnaire: In this type, a set of questions was presented to the expert and he was asked to freely express his opinion. In this stage, the researcher presented four proposed alternatives for sustainable urban development in the city of Al-Nukhayb. These were then sent to the experts, along with a summary of each city. The experts expressed their opinions on the alternatives. Based on this, three alternatives were selected for the city of Al-Nukhayb, after the fourth alternative was excluded for the sake of competition. The best alternative was selected in the second round (the restricted questionnaire stage).
2. Restricted Questionnaire (Weighted Questionnaire): This is a questionnaire presented by the researcher in the second round based on an analysis of the results of the first (open) questionnaire. The researcher also draws on the theoretical framework of the study, the researcher's opinion, and previous studies to design the questionnaire and establish criteria for this round. The expert is then asked to respond to the questionnaire items on a binary scale (agree, disagree) or on a graduated scale with multiple points to assign a relative weight to the importance of the criterion, for example, acceptable - average - good - very good - excellent. It is preferable to assign numbers to these items on the questionnaire sheet. After the questionnaire forms were collected, they were manually entered into a goal matrix table containing 15 criteria aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed alternatives. Each criterion was assigned five weighted scores, each assigned a number of points, as follows: (weak = one point, average = two points, good = three points, very good = four points, excellent = five points). This facilitates the process of entering them into the computer. The responses are then collected and evaluated to arrive at the best alternative (Appendix 1, Table 7).

After analyzing the questionnaire forms, the results appeared in the points shown in Table 8 and Figure 3. By analyzing the data from the same table using the Delphi method to compare alternatives, it became clear that the best alternative for sustainable urban development in the city of Al-Nukhayb is the first alternative, represented by the "Desert Rose City." This was followed by the third alternative, "The Productive City," while the weakest alternative was the second alternative, "The Water City."

Table 7. The criteria set for the alternatives presented for the city of Al-Nukhayb and the degree of each criterion according to experts

Table 8. Evaluation of the alternatives presented for the city of Al-Nukhayb by experts according to the weighting method

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Figure 3. Evaluation of the alternatives presented for the city of Al-Nukhayb by experts according to the weighting method

4.3 Sustainable urban development policies for the city of Al-Nukhayb

4.3.1 The housing sector

Sustainable urban development aims to provide adequate housing for various segments of society. From this perspective, to meet the housing needs of future generations in 2030, the city of Al-Nukhayb will require 784 housing units [32]. Housing sector development is not limited to providing housing units alone, but rather encompasses a set of requirements to create a sustainable city. These include the use of sustainable local building materials, such as natural stone and clay, to reduce energy consumption on air conditioning units. This includes adopting sustainable urban design for housing units, providing infrastructure, superstructure, and public services that serve the home and its occupants, and ensuring easy access from the home to service areas.

4.3.2 The agricultural sector

To achieve sustainable urban development in the city of Al-Nukhayb, an urban agriculture policy can be implemented, employing modern agricultural methods, from preparation and seeding to harvesting and marketing. Fields for raising and fattening calves and sheep can be built, as well as poultry, with a focus on high-quality breeds, while providing government veterinary services. Establishing palm farms and focusing on strategic grain crops (wheat and barley) will also be important. This will also include investing in the seasonal agricultural resource of truffles, a source of income for many of the city's residents.

4.3.3 The industrial sector

For industrial development to be sustainable in the city of Al-Nukhayb, it is necessary to create industrial projects that serve as growth poles that work to stabilize and attract residents and develop the city urbanly and economically in a way that enhances the opportunities for sustainable growth of the city in accordance with the available promising development potential, such as investing in the available development qualifications of labor, raw materials, capital, and available natural resources, especially in the construction industries and building materials, as gravel deposits and compost are present in the city, which are basic materials in the construction industries. And achieving agricultural-industrial economic integration, by establishing factories for leather and wool industries, a feed and grain grinding factory, and a factory for dairy, cheese and meat derivatives to provide livestock (Sheep and camels) in the city's region and its affiliated villages. Emphasis is placed on providing government support (financial, administrative, security, technical, marketing, and advisory).

4.3.4 The transportation sector

Transportation routes function like arteries in the human body, supplying the city with the necessities of life. To develop the transportation sector sustainably, the implementation of a smart transportation system, which aims to develop technologies that enhance safety, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, cut financial costs, optimize time, and provide comfort for people, will achieve sustainability goals. This is in addition to focusing on transportation routes by furnishing, planting trees, and paving the city's side streets with environmentally friendly natural stones instead of asphalt, using solar-powered traffic signs and lighting, and establishing modern rest stops in the city of Al-Nukhayb for travelers crossing the Arar border crossing into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sustainable transportation using bicycles, animals, walking, and hybrid vehicles, which are less polluting than conventional cars, will be encouraged. A train station will be established in the city of Al-Nukhayb and linked to the Ramadi train station. Emphasizing the need to expedite the completion of the Nukhayb-Ramadi road, which is one of the vital roads linking Nukhayb to the city of Ramadi.

4.3.5 The commercial sector

Sustainable development in this commercial sector can be achieved by supporting the agricultural and industrial sectors to benefit from inputs and outputs through the transport of raw materials and final goods between production and consumption areas, thus stimulating commercial activity. Establishing a free trade zone with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and establishing small commercial complexes supported by the state, by investing in model market buildings currently under construction.

4.3.6 The community services sector

This includes:

1. Health Services: The health services development policy seeks to provide a sufficient number of health centers and their medical staff, in terms of quality and quantity, in a manner commensurate with the population size. Therefore, by 2030, the city will be self-sufficient with its existing health center, according to the surveying standard. As for the number of doctors, it will need 5 doctors, 2 dentists, 2 pharmacists, 34 health professionals, and 67 beds (Table 9).

Table 9. Future needs for health and education services in the cities of Al-Muhammadi and Al-Nukhayb for the year 2030

2. Educational Services: The educational services development policy aims to provide school buildings and teaching staff at an efficient level, as well as to locate school buildings in locations that ensure easy access and protect the safety of students. Therefore, by the year 2030 AD, the city will need one kindergarten, 2 elementary schools, and one secondary school (Table 9) to accommodate the increasing number of students and pupils in 2030 AD, and to provide laboratories, supplies, and modern teaching methods.
3. Recreational Services: The vast desert areas of the city of Al-Nukhayb must be invested in by holding desert recreational activities such as night camping to observe the sky and stars, a shooting range, horse and camel riding, and free-range hunting. Tourist trips can be organized there, given the presence of enthusiasts of these activities, as well as those seeking the comfort and tranquility available in the city's desert, away from the hustle and bustle of large cities.

4.3.7 Infrastructure services

Infrastructure services include:

1. Potable Water: The city will require 1,693,440 liters/capita/day (Table 10). This should not be overlooked due to the qualitative characteristics of potable water. Policies should be adopted to conserve and sustain water for future generations by: recycling graywater and using it to irrigate crops instead of potable water; rationalizing consumption in all daily uses; raising citizens' awareness of the importance of water and the need to conserve it quantitatively and qualitatively; and extending a water pipeline from Ramadi District to Al-Nukhayb City, which lacks any surface water source.
2. Sanitation Services: The sanitation services development policy aims to include the city with a sewage network (drainage of heavy and rainwater) with treatment plants for this water, which can then be reused for washing streets, irrigating crops, or injecting it into the ground, and eliminating septic tanks that have negative environmental impacts. The amount of water that will be released in the year 2030 AD will be 658560 liters/day in the city of Al-Nukhayb (Table 10).

Table 10. Future projections for drinking water and wastewater in the city of Al-Nukhayb in 2030

3. Electricity Services: According to the standard 3.5 kilowatt-hours per capita/year [36], it was shown that the city will need 16,464 kilowatt-hours per capita/year in 2030. To sustain and develop the electricity services sector, it is possible to rely on clean, sustainable energy (solar and wind energy), especially with the availability of sufficient solar radiation hours to be used for electricity production at a rate of 9.3 hours. Wind energy speeds are suitable for electricity production during the spring and summer seasons, ranging between 5.1^-4 m/s [37].
4. Waste Disposal: Waste disposal is extremely important given the impact of waste on the environment, the general appearance of the city, and the economy, and its continuous and increasing generation with the city's population growth. The city will produce 1,646 tons/day in 2030, according to the standard 350 grams/capita/day. To organize the disposal of these quantities and invest them in a sustainable manner, a recycling policy must be adopted, and waste must be sorted by placing three containers: one for organic waste, one for plastic waste, and one for paper waste.