Iraq Waterways from OpenStreetMap for Flood Risk and Watershed Analysis

OpenStreetMap exports of water features across Iraq, including rivers, streams, canals, lakes, and ponds. The data is compiled by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and was last updated on 2026-05-14. Completeness varies by region, with urban areas typically better mapped than remote areas.

Use Cases

• Model flood-risk zones based on the distribution of rivers, streams, and canals.
• Conduct watershed analysis using the network of waterways and water bodies.
• Create environmental basemaps for contextual analysis using lakes, ponds, and other water features.

Strengths

• Data is available in multiple geospatial formats including GEOPACKAGE, KML, SHP, and GEOJSON.
• Last updated on 2026-05-14, indicating recent maintenance.
• Sourced from OpenStreetMap, a free, collaborative global mapping project.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Completeness varies by region; remote areas may be incompletely mapped compared to urban centers.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

OpenStreetMap

Collection Method

Volunteer-contributed mapping, exported by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 16:39:46.001594.

Geography

Iraq