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ABSTRACT
Human potential is one of the most relevant topics to development issues, as it represents economic wealth and is an
essential tool for achieving spatial development. Man is the means and goal of development and a practical element
in determining development trends because population and development are two-way and interconnected. If
population growth is explained by natural increase, migration, and mortality variables, these same variables explain
the development process. Development is described as a complex and multidimensional process centered on a spatial
container that contains it to show its effects in the surrounding environment but at varying degrees and levels
embodied in human settlements. Therefore, spatial development topics have increasingly received the attention of
scientific and human specializations due to their significant role in developing cities or regions and bringing about
fundamental changes in light of the problems that have been exacerbated due to the high population increase. In
Najaf Governorate, there are human potentials capable of creating spatial development, influenced by the role of
demographic variables in the governorate, such as high annual population growth rates, geographical distribution,
and high population density, as well as knowing the degree of their population concentration. To form a clear picture
Research Article
THE IMPACT OF POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS ON THE SPATIAL
DEVELOPMENT OF NAJAF GOVERNORATE
Submission Date:
December 08, 2024,
Accepted Date:
December 13, 2024,
Published Date:
December 18, 2024
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume04Issue12-11
Dhifaf Riyadh Salih
University of Kufa, College of Education for Girls, Iraq
Dr. Hussein Jaaz Nasser Al-Fatlawi
Prof., University of Kufa, College of Education for Girls, Iraq
Dr. Jawad Kadhim Obaid Al-Hasnawi
Prof., University of Kufa, College of Education for Girls, Iraq
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
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of the population, one of the tools for the success of development projects is based on their capabilities and density
in the place.
This research is designed to provide valuable insights into the relationship between population and spatial
characteristics, using available official statistics and data. The role of these demographic variables in influencing the
development process in Najaf Governorate from (2012 to 2022) is a key focus. The research relies on a descriptive-
analytical approach to analyze the demographic variables of Najaf Governorate, serving as a fundamental scientific
basis to present a clear picture and reveal the characteristics of the governorate's population and its impact on spatial
development. The ultimate goal is to provide recommendations for effective spatial development based on
demographic analysis.
The research's findings and proposals are of significant importance, as they provide valuable insights into the
relationship between population and spatial development in Najaf Governorate. These findings and proposals have
the potential to inform policy and practice in the region and beyond.
The disparity in population capabilities, resources, and functional characteristics of the districts of Najaf Governorate
represents a natural state that can be exploited and invested in a way that leads to the development of the districts
first and the governorate second, according to planning visions and based on each district's capabilities.
The study's most significant proposal was establishing a population database at the level of the governorate and its
districts, whose data is updated periodically or annually, and redistributing the population of the governorate's district
centers to achieve a balance in the distribution of population and services.
KEYWORDS
Population, spatial development, distribution, population growth.
INTRODUCTION
The population is the real wealth of societies and the
primary and guiding force for the process of spatial
development because they are the makers of
development, its goal, and the main factor in its
success. The population can be viewed from two sides:
as a consumer on the one hand and as a producer on
the other. Their increase means an increase in demand
for goods and services, an increase in the hands
capable of working, and their influence on investment,
consumption, and the labor market, thus pushing the
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spatial development movement toward prosperity.
The increase in their growth rates is indicated by the
increase in the youth of society, the increase in the
proportion of human power and labor force to the
total population, and the diversity of experiences and
contributions to development construction. According
to the results of contemporary information and
technological wealth, the study of quantitative and
qualitative population changes has become essential in
supporting and enhancing growth and development
efforts in all countries, indicating the strength of the
link between the demographic factor and spatial
development. Achieving balanced spatial development
in the study area and across all regions of the country
requires consolidating and integrating the spatial,
urban, and population dimensions into all strategies,
plans, and population policies at the regional and local
levels to determine spatial development priorities and
ensure that they reach the maximum possible benefit
in the shortest possible time and so that the fruits of
development reach all members of society.
To achieve the research methodology, scientific
necessity required dividing the research into three
sections and concluding what the section reached,
represented by findings and recommendations. The
first section clarifies the concept of spatial
development and tracking the development of the
population of Najaf Governorate. In contrast, the
second section includes the numerical and relative
distribution and general density. In contrast, the third
section clarifies the percentage of population
concentration in the governorate as a whole and the
role of spatial development in all the districts of the
study area.
First topic
1- Research problem
The research problem is a crucial one, revolving around
the following question: -
(To what extent do population characteristics affect
spatial development in Najaf Governorate regarding
population growth, distribution, and concentration?)
2- Research hypothesis
The spatial boundaries of the study area are
represented by the area contained within the
administrative boundaries of Najaf Governorate, which
is located to the south of the capital Baghdad on the
eastern edge of the alluvial flood area. It is
administratively bordered to the north by Karbala
Governorate, to the northwest by Anbar Governorate,
to the east by Qadisiyah Governorate, to the northeast
by Babil Governorate, to the southeast by Muthanna
Governorate, and to the south and southwest by the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is located between
longitudes (42.0° - 44.45°) east, and latitudes (29.50° -
32.21°) north. It occupies an area of (29346 km2) of the
area of Iraq, which is (435244 km2) on the map. The
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temporal boundaries of the study are represented by
the period (1997 - 2017).
Map (1) Study area of Iraq
Source: The researcher based on: Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Water Resources, General
Survey Directorate,
Administrative Map of Iraq, 2021, scale (1:1000000).
4- The concept of spatial development
Spatial development is defined as the process of
moving from the current situation to a better situation
in the economic, social, environmental, and urban
aspects, aiming to achieve the spatial structure of the
economy in a specific place and time, a level of
development to enhance economic growth (1). It is
also described as a complex process with multiple
geographical dimensions, including a conscious
strategy with specific goals and objectives in long-term
stages based on controlling the size and quality of
available financial, human, and natural resources to
reach the maximum possible investment in the
shortest period, to achieve economic and social well-
being in that place or region (2).
The phenomenon of spatial development has received
the attention of many development plans in
developing countries as a result of the misuse of
investments and the mechanism of distributing them
fairly from one country's regions, as spatial
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development is the result of economic plans and
investment programs, which sometimes lead to
structural imbalances as a result of the sharp disparity
in development levels between different regions of the
country (3). In contemporary trends, spatial
development has become the primary tool in
confronting backwardness and moving towards
advancement and progress after the emergence of the
problem of sharp disparity in development levels, as it
constantly seeks through its policies of coordination
between parts of the region to create a settlement and
balance in the economic and social fields to achieve the
well-being
of
the
population,
by
reducing
unemployment levels and creating employment
opportunities for the population, through the optimal
use of available resources and raising the efficiency of
spatial space in attracting investments and service and
financial activities (4), and thus achieving a relative
development balance between the regions on the one
hand, and achieving a kind of balance between
maximizing economic development rates at the
national level, and achieving justice in distributing the
fruits of this development between the regions and
areas of the country on the other hand. Following a
balanced spatial development policy is based on
balancing the trends of quantitative and qualitative
change in the economic and social reality in a place, as
it seeks to facilitate the regions towards a state of
balance based on what they possess of capabilities in a
manner consistent with the national economy,
meaning that it means the locational and spatial
aspects of economic development that emdiv the
reality of the relative and absolute spatial dimension,
when it works to integrate national goals and look at
the economic structure in an integrated manner, and
thus to analyze the relationships between the various
sectors to achieve balanced development in all sectors
(5), Plan (1), and the three goals are (6):
1- The economic goal: represented by the
interrelationship between the production and service
sectors and the extent of their contribution to
supporting the gross domestic product, raising the
levels of economic development and human resources
development, establishing infrastructure, reducing
structural defects in the economy, and achieving
economic and social well-being. 2- Social objective: It is
represented in the changes that occur as a result of
achieving a balance between regions and cities in a way
that provides convergence in the level of income,
living, lifestyles, behavior, social relations, cultural
levels, and positive repercussions on the quality of life
resulting from increasing both income and production
by reducing the unemployment rate and raising
economic growth rates.
3- Organizational objective: It is represented in the
institutional and administrative changes necessary to
keep pace with society's different stages of
development and interact with variables and
developments efficiently and flexibly through
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technical development, improving productivity, and
raising the efficiency of the performance of the various
agencies and institutions participating in development
processes.
5- Population size and growth Population studies
occupy a prominent position in geographical studies,
as they are the source of all human issues, and because
the field of population geography focuses on
understanding the spatial variations of the various
population elements, which are centered in their
entirety on what is known as population growth, which
is defined as the increase or decrease in population size
during a specific period (7), as knowing the population
size is essential in the workforce with the size of
services, which spatial development projects can
achieve, because the relationship between population
and spatial development depends on the balance in
this size and the size of the natural resources of the
place (8).
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Scheme (1)
Planning process
Economic dimension
Spatial dimension
Region Governorates
Cities
ا
National
level
plannin
g
Local
planning
cities,
municipalitie
s
Regional
Planning
Governorate
s Regions
What do we invest where do we invest
Technical efficiency of investment, social
justice
Budget
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Objectives of the spatial development process
Source: Mustafa Jalil Ibrahim, The Impact of Spatial Characteristics on Development
Mechanisms,
College of Arts Journal, Issue 102, 2019, p. 710.
Table (1): Development of the Population Size of the District Centers of Najaf Governorate for the
Period (2012-2022)
District
centers
Population 2012
Population 2012
Annual
Growth
Rate
Najaf District
Center
694201
859165
2,20
Feudal development
Spatial development
Integrated Social Feudal Development
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Kufa District
Center
216982
268142
2,13
Al-Mundhir
District Center
83704
103218
2,11
Al-Mashkhab
District Center
83870
103417
2,13
Total
1078757
1333942
2,14
Source: The researcher based on:
- Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Annual Statistical Collection, Najaf
Governorate for the year 2012, Table (2), p. 5.
- Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Annual Statistical Collection, Najaf
Governorate for the year 2022, Table (2), p. 5.
Figure (1)
Annual population growth rate of Najaf Governorate's district centers for the period (2012-
2022)
Source: The researcher based on Table (1)
The population growth rate is usually calculated by
knowing the change in population size between two
different censuses, assuming a time difference of not
less than (10) years. As a result of not conducting a
population census since 1997, reliance was placed on
enumeration, numbering, and estimates, which are
characterized by inaccuracy and ambiguity, which is
necessary to know the population development in the
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country or region. It is clear from the analysis of the
data in Table (1) and Figure (1) that the population size
of the study area is increasing at an increasing rate
during the study period (2012-2022). Their size was
estimated in 2012 at (1,078,757) people. The Najaf
District Center had the highest population size of
(694,201), with an annual growth rate of (2.20). In
comparison, the population size of all the districts of
Najaf Governorate in 2022 was (1,333,942), with an
annual growth rate of (2.14). The Najaf District Center
obtained The highest population size is (859,265)
people, which indicates the high indicators of the
natural increase in the population, represented by the
increase in births and the decrease in deaths, in
addition to the impact of the migration factor from the
various governorates of the country, due to the impact
of the development witnessed by the governorate in
various fields (cultural, economic, health) in addition to
the great urban expansion, and because all the
activities and various development projects are carried
out through them and for them at the same time,
knowing their size, concentration and annual growth
rate is necessary for appropriate planning to meet the
various needs and services, and thus what can be done
to establish development projects based on their
efficiency and ability in the region. The second section
The geographical distribution of the population of the
districts of Najaf Governorate
The distribution of the population means that it is
distributed in a natural place through which people can
settle and exploit it in the best way (9). It represents a
purely geographical characteristic due to its strong
spatial connection. The phenomenon of population
distribution was also described as a continuous
dynamic phenomenon, the causes and results of which
differ in time and place, according to a system of
characteristics or natural influences and socio-
economic and historical variables, which interact with
each other and overlap to form the spatial distribution
image of the population (10). The development of the
economic and social conditions in Najaf Governorate
and the center of its districts had a prominent,
influential role in increasing the population during the
mentioned study period. The population will be
distributed in the centers of the districts of Najaf
Governorate in a numerical, relative, and dense
distribution as follows:
1- Numerical distribution
The concept of numerical distribution is determined by
the number of people who were counted and confined
in a specific area and at a specific time, depending on
the quantitative or volumetric basis in the
classification,
without
considering
what
this
volumetric quantity constitutes of the total percentage
For the population of the region or province (11). This
numerical quantity in the administrative units gives a
general idea about the structure of the population
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presence in the region and its spatial relationship in
current and future expectations. From this standpoint,
the numerical distribution of the population has gained
special importance in population and geographical
studies, as it represents the final and comprehensive
picture in which all the natural and human
geographical elements appear together and interact
within cities or their administrative units. The data in
Table (2) and Figure (2) show the variation in the
population distribution in the centers of the districts of
Najaf Governorate for the period (2012-2020). The
population reached (1,078,757) people in 2012, while
the number rose to (1,333,942) people with an absolute
increase of (255,185) people. This population was
distributed among the centers of its four districts. The
center of Najaf District obtained the first place during
the mentioned study period, with a population
increase of (164,964) people, while the center of Al-
Manathira District obtained the last place for the same
mentioned period, with a population increase of
(19,514) people. This great development in the
population is attributed to the improvement of the
economic and health situation, in addition to the
hidden migration movement from the districts to these
centers and other governorates of the country due to
the availability of job opportunities and services that
are somewhat better than the districts and the rest of
the governorates of the country, especially the
southern ones. 2- Proportional distribution
The proportional distribution means the percentage of
the total population contained in the administrative
unit. It simplifies the numerical distribution by
converting
those
numbers
into
percentages,
constituting the total population percentages of the
region to be studied. It is also one of the most used
methods in measuring the spatial variation of the
demographic quantity distribution, and revealing the
images of this variation and its temporal and spatial
differences clarifies the importance of the place and its
development during a specific period by analyzing the
various digital population data (12), so the proportional
distribution is necessary to know the relative weight of
the population size of each region (13).
Table (2): Numerical distribution of the population in the center of the districts of Najaf Governorate for the period
(2012-2022)
District
Centers
Estimates 2012
Estimates 2022
Absolute
Change
2012-2022
Najaf District
Center
694201
859165
164964
Kufa District
Center
216982
268142
51160
Al-Mundhir
District Center
83704
103218
19514
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Al-Mashkhab
District Center
83870
103417
19547
Total
1078757
1333942
255185
Source: The researcher based on:
Table (1)
Figure (2): Numeral distribution of the population in the district center of Najaf Governorate for the
period (2012-2022)
Source: The researcher based on Table (2). Table (3)
and Figure (3) show the variation in the geographical
distribution of the population of the district centers of
Najaf Governorate and, thus, the variation in their
percentages. The Najaf District Center outperformed
by a percentage of (64%) of the total population of the
district centers of the governorate in 2012, i.e., it won
first place. Its superiority continued until 2022, with
(65%) of the total population of the district centers of
the governorate, which indicates that it acquired about
a third of the population of the district centers of the
governorate, and this justifies the superiority of the
human characteristics represented by the religious and
historical factor, which is represented by containing
the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), the main
reason for the existence of the city and the
continuation of its development, in addition to the
factors previously mentioned, which confirms the
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importance of the center, which is represented by its
large population, which made it the center of the
governorate, and a factor of attraction for the
population of other governorates. As for the Kufa
District Center, it came in second place with a
percentage of (19%) of the district centers of the
governorate in 2012, and the percentage rose to (20%)
of the total population of the governorate in 2022. The
center of Al-Munathira and Al-Mashkhab districts came
in last place with (8%) of the total population, which
indicates the disparity in the relative distribution of the
population of the centers of the governorate’s
districts. 3 - Density distribution
By population density distribution, we mean knowing
the average population size in the area unit (km2,
square mile) to be able to draw a picture of the spatial
distribution of the population in the urban or rural area,
in addition to analyzing the population situation and its
relationship to the characteristics of the region and the
results of this in developing the region and investing its
economic resources (14). Since studying the numerical
and relative distribution of the population through
their absolute numbers or percentages cannot give a
clear idea about the nature of their spread or
concentration, it may not be a measure for comparison
between administrative units. Relying on population
density indicators necessarily allows such possibilities
because the population is not distributed regularly due
to its connection to several factors that may be
economic, social, or natural (15). Suppose it receives
the attention of population studies and city planners.
In that case, they can arrange functions within the
urban area to prepare for creating an urban
environment characterized by the efficiency of its
functions and services.
Table (3): Relative distribution of the population of the districts of Najaf Governorate for the
period (2012-2020).
District
Centers
2012
estimates
Rate
2022
estimates
Rate
Najaf District
Center
694201
64
859165
65
Kufa District
Center
216982
19
268142
20
Al-Mundhir
District Center
83704
8
103218
8
Al-Mashkhab
District Center
83870
8
83870
8
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Total
1078757
100
1333942
100
Source: The researcher based on:
Data from Table (1)
Figure (3)
The relative distribution of the population of the districts’ centers in
Najaf Governorate for the period (2012-2022)
Source: The researcher based on Table (3). The data in
Table (4) indicate that the distribution of the general
population density within the administrative units of
the governorate and its district centers varies during
the mentioned study period. The Kufa district center
surpassed the highest population density of (1682)
people in 2012, followed by the Mishkhab district
center with (684) people, while the lowest density was
in the Al-Manathira district center with (258) people. As
for the estimates for the year 2022, the trend of the
administrative units continued in the same direction, as
the Kufa district center acquired the highest density of
(2078) people, followed by the Mishkhab district
center with (840) people, while the lowest density was
in the Al-Manathira district center with (319) people.
The reason for the superiority of the Kufa district
center in the high population density during the study
period is due to the small area of the district center, on
the one hand, its location within an alluvial plain area,
and its proximity to the Najaf district center and its
containing some holy shrines represented by (Muslim
Ibn Aqil, Mitham Al-Tammar, Imam Ali Mosque, The
shrine of the Master of the Age (PBUH), Sayyid
Ibrahim), in addition to the availability of services and
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the diversity of activities that acted as an attraction
factor for residents of the outskirts or other
governorates of the country.
Table (4): The dense distribution of the centers of the districts of Najaf Governorate for the period (2012-2022).
District
Centers
2012
Estimates
Area,
Km2
General
Density
Km2
2022
Estimates
Area,
Km2
General
Density
Km2
Najaf
District
Center
694201
1133
613
859165
1133
758
Kufa
District
Center
216982
129
1682
268142
129
2078
Al-Mundhir
District
Center
83704
324
258
10321
324
319
Al-
Mashkhab
District
Center
83870
123
681
103417
123
840
Source: The researcher based on:
- Table (1).
- Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Annual Statistical Collection of Najaf
Governorate for the year 2022, Table (1) p. 4.
- Map (3): Density distribution of the population of Najaf district centers for the period (2012-
2022)
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Source: Researcher, data from Table (4). The third topic
Population concentration in the centers of the districts
of Najaf Governorate
Since the real importance of studying the population
distribution is to reveal the relationship between the
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population and the place where they live, as it is
described as a process linked to the place that changes
in time and space, therefore trying to identify the
pattern of their concentration in the place is an
important matter because it aims to reveal where they
are concentrated or scattered and spread around a
specific center (16), so it is necessary to know the size
of the population in any area to be studied, to give a
clear picture of the change in the size of the
population, and the ability of the land to support them,
especially since there is no static society and the
population is not distributed regularly, as a result of the
variation in natural and human conditions that differ in
their effect from one place to another. (17)
The percentage of population concentration in the
regions is measured according to the numerical
standard, which is the degree of concentration, which
is statistically equal to half the total absolute difference
between the percentage of the area and the
percentage of the number of people in each region.
The result ranges between the percentage that
approaches zero, the smallest, and the one that
approaches (100), the largest, meaning that the larger
the percentage, the more the population They tend
towards high concentration, and vice versa, the lower
the ratio, the more the population is spread and
dispersed (18). The importance of studying population
concentration lies in what it provides to city planners
and those concerned with developing development
plans according to the spread and concentration of the
population. When calculating the concentration ratio
for the population of the centers of the districts of
Najaf Governorate for the period (2012-2020) Table (5),
it can be noted that the relative spread is the main
characteristic in the population distribution or their
concentration. The population was concentrated to a
large extent in a judicial center (Kufa and Al-
Mundhirah) at a rate of (5, -5) for the year 2012, which
indicates the stability of the security and economic
conditions, in addition to the characteristics and
advantages enjoyed by the judiciary that were
previously mentioned. As for the year 2020, the
population concentration continued in the same
direction with an increase in the concentration ratio
over the previous year, 2012, as the concentration ratio
reached (-6, 5) for each of the centers of the Kufa and
Al-Mundhirah districts, respectively. By analyzing the
population distribution data in the centers of the
governorate’s districts, we reach the fa
ct that the
population and the district centers need to provide
comprehensive development plans for each district
center to provide economic, social, and cultural
services that meet the diverse needs of the population,
in addition to providing other services.
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Table (5): Population concentration percentage in the district centers of Najaf Governorate for the period (2012-
2020).
District
Centers
2012
2020
Population
%
s
Area
%
p
½
difference
(
P - S
* )
Population
%
s
Area
%
p
½
difference
*(P-S)
Najaf District
Center
64
66
1
65
66
1
Kufa District
Center
19
8
-
5
،
5
20
8
-
6
Al-Mundhir
District Center
8
19
5
،
5
8
19
5
،
5
Al-Mashkhab
District Center
8
7
-
1
8
7
-
1
Source: The researcher based on:
Data from Table (4)
The concentration ratio can be reached using the
following equation:
Concentration ratio = 2/1 m (S - S)
S = percentage of the area of the region to the total
area of the region
S = percentage of the population of the region to the
total population of the region
M = the sum of the positive differences between these
ratios, i.e., the sum of the values without considering
the negative signs.
Source: Fathi Abu Ayanah, Population Geography,
Foundations and Applications, Faculty of Education,
Alexandria University, Dar Al-Ma'rifah Al-Jami'iyah,
1993, p. 186. (19)
2- The impact of the development dimension of the
districts of Najaf Governorate
Spatial development has become necessary to reduce
the developmental disparity and imbalance between
the regions or governorates of the country on the one
hand and between the regions of the region or
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governorate itself on the other hand. It is an effective
tool in achieving levels of prosperity for any region, i.e.,
it works to restore the regional balance of investments
and spread the fruits of development among the
various regions of the region in a fair manner (20).
Since development is a deliberate, planned process
that aims to change the structural structure of society
in its various dimensions to provide a decent life for
members of society, it is more general and
comprehensive than growth because it means growth
with change (21), relying on the size and quality of the
economic, social, human and urban potential and
resources available to reach the state that the degree
of spatial development between the regions of the
studied region should reach. However, development is
a double-edged sword, as it has positive aspects and
hides negative aspects. Its positive aspect is
represented by the great progress and improvement in
living standards in general.
In contrast, its negative aspect lies in what it includes
in breaking the barrier of desires and increasing the
degree of waste of material things. Progress Rapid
growth and the accompanying great material
development in satisfying needs have resulted in
instability at a certain level, which leads to pressure on
environmental resources and damage to the
components of the natural or geographical
environment. In general, the development process in
the country was based on two basic dimensions: the
feudal and temporal dimensions, i.e., interest in the
profitability of the project and its effects over a specific
period, and lacked the third dimension, which is the
spatial development of the country's governorates,
which resulted in a large disparity in the levels of social
and regional development in some of the country's
governorates, which resulted in a force of attraction
towards major urban centers, due to the availability of
location economies and external savings, so
investments were concentrated in them, and
contributed to widening the gap in development levels
between the different regions of the country, so
income levels lagged behind the general average, in
addition to the lack or deterioration of infrastructure
and public services. All these problems made it
necessary to pay attention to the regional dimension
of the development process to redistribute the
population, wealth, and investments in a way that
creates balanced development between the different
regions of the country and its administrative units.
Because the governorate represents a dynamic unit
whose characteristics and borders change over time,
this aspect is important, so any planning process
carried out in the country's governorates should take
into account the dynamic nature of the spatial
development process because the outcome of spatial
development, as we have indicated, is to achieve
prosperity for the area in which it is located. The
availability of services, activities, and individual income
within the scope of the prevailing legal and
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administrative systems, as determined by economic,
social, administrative, and political links. These links are
bound by a certain spatial dimension while achieving
functional specialization. Moreover, economic and
social spatial development paths will only be
straightened through spatial development.
As for spatial development and the possibility of
achieving it in Najaf Governorate with its sectors and
districts in general, it is known that the governorate is
one of the important historical cities whose roots
extend to pre-Islam for a long period. This historical
dimension of the city has a role in making the
governorate a center of stability and great attraction,
in addition to its impact on its civilized appearance. In
addition, many economic potentials and resources that
can be developed and developed in the future are
highlighted in the governorate and its district centers
in general, most notably the agricultural sector due to
the vast agricultural areas available in the governorate
and water resources represented by the Euphrates
River and the fertility of the lands that lie on its
shoulders, in addition to the industrial sector, which is
considered one of the broad sectors in the
governorate, which has great importance not only in
the governorate but in the country in general,
represented by the Kufa Cement Factory and the
Ready-Made Garments Factory and many others, in
addition to the impact of the governorate's location on
the activity of the commercial sector and the
emergence of its role in the development field, in
partnership with the investment sector and private
sector development, which are the cornerstone of the
governorate's development. There is also a
development advantage in each district of Najaf
Governorate that is compatible with the nature of the
geography. And the available potentials in it, and the
role of spatial development emerges to confront the
phenomenon of spatial disparity between the regions
of the region or governorate, which in turn leads to
obstructing the development process in its various
dimensions, the importance of the role played by
spatial development in reducing disparity lies in
following effective and influential policies and
methods in exploiting development potentials and
natural resources, and from here it can be said that to
achieve these goals, it is necessary to set development
priorities without neglecting the needs according to
the following concepts, which can be considered
recommendations that the research comes out with:
- Working to develop the capabilities and potentials
that distinguish each district center in the governorate
within the development priorities scale, which leads to
developing development programs in a specific region
that integrate with other regions and thus achieve
balanced development based on the available
potential in each district center.
- The necessity of working to establish a population
database at the level of governorates and their
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districts, whose data is updated periodically or
annually, in addition to redistributing the population of
the governorate's district centers to achieve a balance
in the distribution of population and services. -
Emphasizing the development of districts that have
been deprived for certain circumstances from
exploiting their resources and economic potential to
raise the level of their development performance and
to provide basic jobs for the population in economic
activities (agriculture, trade, and industry) due to their
major role in attracting the population and raising their
incomes and thus raising their standard of living, since
most of the residents of the districts of Najaf
Governorate are active groups, so it is necessary to
exploit them and provide all the capabilities that lead
to taking their place in the development process.
Working on developing development plans that work
to exploit resources in a planned manner according to
strategic plans to meet the population's need for
services and necessary needs; otherwise, the districts
of the governorate will be unable to meet the various
increasing requirements of the population and will be
far from the development witnessed by the country.
CONCLUSIONS
1- The population of the district centers of Najaf
Governorate has been growing at high rates during the
period (2012-2020), as the general average for all
district centers of the governorate reached (2.14)
people, and this is due to the high rate of population
increase resulting from the dynamic and spatial
population movements.
2- The population distribution in all district centers of
the governorate is affected by several factors,
foremost of which is the religious factor and the fact
that some district centers contain holy shrines,
represented by the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon
him), Muslim Ibn Aqeel (peace be upon him) in the
district center of Najaf and Kufa, in addition to other
holy places in the centers, as well as the natural and
human characteristics of the district centers.
4- More than half of the population of the
governorate's district centers, which amounts to (84%)
of the total population of the governorate's district
centers, are concentrated in two judicial centers (Najaf
District Center, Kufa District Center) in an area of (74%),
which indicates the presence of a numerical and
relative concentration of the population size in the
judicial center.
3- The study showed the spatial variation in the
distribution of the general population density among
the governorate's district centers, as the highest
population density was in the Kufa District Center
during the study period (2012-2020) with (1682, 2078)
people. The reason is due to the small area of the
district and the availability of various activities and
services, in addition to its proximity to the Najaf District
Center. 4- By applying the population concentration
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equation to all the centers of the conservative issue
during the study period (2012-2020), it appeared that
the population tends to be relatively spread and varies
spatially, as the highest concentration was in the
center of Kufa district for the year 2020 at (-6). The
negative sign indicates the unfairness of the
population distribution in the district as a whole.
5- The disparity in the capabilities and functional
characteristics of the districts of Najaf Governorate
represents a natural situation that can be exploited
and invested in a way that leads to the development of
the districts first and the governorate second,
according to planning visions and based on the
capabilities of each district.
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