Data on rainfall are a crucial meteorological input for planning and management studies of water resources as well as agricultural modeling systems. Environmental conditions, particularly rainfall and water availability, have a significant impact on crop choice and agricultural production output. The influence of climate variables, such as rainfall, is so strong in Kurdistan that overall agricultural productions are now in danger. In this study, rainfall data of 48 years (1974 to 2022) were used to determine variation in rainfall in Duhok city and Semel district in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Annually rainfall amount data of forty-eight years (1974- 2022) was obtained from the Directorate of Agriculture (Duhok and Semele). An analysis of rainfall variations in the Duhok city and Semel district shows that 1974-1975 (158 and135mm, respectively) recorded the least average rainfall across the study area and over the years while the highest average rainfall was recorded in 2018-2019 (1199.3, 991mm, respectively). Although in 2007-2008 recorded the second least average rainfall (216 and 141.6mm, respectively), and the second highest rainfall in Semel district is in 1988- 1989, but in Duhok city is in (1987-1988) over the study period. Non availability of rainfall data for 1990 year in Semel was a major limitation to this study; because in this year the uprising began and people migrated abroad. Similarly, trend analysis shows that there are increasing (+ve), decreasing (-ve) and somewhat constant trends for the different years. Statistical measures (mean, median, maximum, minimum, standard deviation, variance, skewness, kurtosis and coefficient of variation, etc.) have been used. The analysis of rainfall variations from the study area shows that Duhok city and Semel district recorded the average annual rainfall amount of (533.7 and 437.18mm) over the years. The results indicated that for the annual rainfall, median, maximum, minimum, standard deviation, variance, skewness, kurtosis, coefficient of variation and correlation coefficients was found as (540.8, 463.7mm), (1199.3, 991mm), (158, 135mm), (207.1, 169.95mm), (42871.4, 28884.49mm), (0.6596, 0.419mm), (1.009, 1.282mm), (38.79, 38.88%), and (0.715) respectively during the study period. A reliable indicator of climate trends can be found in the temporal fluctuation of rainfall. In addition, these rainfall variations are used in many engineering aspects, including design of massive civil engineering structures like dams, design of water supply networks, it greatly contributes in water resources system planning and management, etc. Furthermore, the rainfall variations are not only important in engineering aspects but also heavily in agriculture. Therefore, this research paper presents an analysis of temporal variation of rainfall in Semel, Kurdistan Region. Initial results show some interesting trends in rainfall over a period of 48 years.
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