The Impact of Climatic Elements on Electricity Consumption in Dhi Qar Governorate for the Year 2024: A Study in Applied Climatology

Abstract

Iraq ranks fifth among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and the environmental and energy challenges it faces directly affect its overall stability and prosperity. Over the past two decades, one of the indicators has been the rise in temperatures across all countries, especially in hot and dry climates such as Dhi Qar Governorate (the study site). This has coincided with the problem of increased energy consumption to meet cooling needs in Dhi Qar, particularly during the summer season.

Moreover, the rise in energy consumption contributes to increased environmental pollution in urban areas, which in turn exacerbates global warming. The steady decline in rainfall in Dhi Qar, coupled with rising temperatures, has created some of the worst drought conditions in Iraq’s recorded history. Soil salinity and desertification have further contributed to the intensification of dust and sandstorms. Such climatic conditions negatively impact the electrical power system in Dhi Qar, as storms and winds cause power line outages, while heavy rainfall leads to transformer failures due to water leakage, resulting in damage to transformer components.

The study discussed the correlation analysis between changes in climatic elements such as rainfall and temperature with increased electricity consumption in Dhi Qar Governorate for the year 2024. The statistical relationship revealed the impact of climatic factors on electricity consumption, with correlation values between maximum, minimum, and average temperatures and electricity consumption amounting to (0.738, 0.787, 0.757) respectively. In addition, rainfall and relative humidity also influenced electricity consumption, with correlation values of (0.796, 0.639) respectively