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Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive method to estimate the feasibility of constructing small hydropower dams by incorporating an analysis of the physical characteristics of the study area using the Geographical Information System (GIS) and a frequency analysis based on a large amount of reliable rainfall data for an arid area, specifically in the Western Desert of Iraq. The analysis was conducted on the three largest valleys in the region, namely Horan, Al-Gadaf, and Al-Ubyad. The potential hydropower system, a small hydropower turbine set up on the bottom outlet of a small dam that operates as a penstock, includes developing water-harvesting systems in the dams in these valleys that can distribute water for agricultural and domestic purposes in the local community. The average expected head for dams in the study area is low, i.e. between 1.6 m and 31.5 m, while the median and mode are 11.5 m and 14 m, respectively. A return period-power generated curve is developed to demonstrate the probability and potential energy that can be generated. The potential hydropower based on rainfall in a (100-year return period) is 30 MW, 5.8 MW, and 4.3 MW for the Horan, Al-Ubyad, and Al-Gadaf catchment areas, respectively. Theoretically, these small hydropower plants are capable of serving up to 30,000 houses in the Horan catchment. Horan valley has the highest potential owing to its high storage capacity and large slope in the mainstream of the catchment and because the catchment area lies within the upper rainfall line in the western region of Iraq. Overall, the hydropower plants bring significant benefits to the area, including a constant water supply for domestic and agricultural uses, which would support the economic and social development of the region.
Kamel et al. (Fri,) studied this question.