Hydromorphometric Indices and Their Impact on Flood Risk in the Basins of the Western Plateau: A Critical Scientific Review

Abstract

This review aims to analyze the hydromorphometric characteristics of selected basins within the Western Iraqi Plateau in order to understand the hydrological behavior of dry valleys through a comprehensive critical assessment of Iraqi studies and a synthetic scientific analysis. The literature indicates that floods in this arid region are not incidental events but represent complex geomorphological processes resulting from the interaction of elongated basin geometry, steep slopes, dominant geological structures, gypsum soil duality, and short-duration intense rainfall. The analysis shows that floods act as geomorphological energy capable of pulse erosion and reactivation of ancient drainage pathways preserved within basin memory, rather than functioning as simple surface runoff. Results reveal that flooding in the Western Plateau follows a dynamic cyclical system beginning with rainfall events and ending with basin reconfiguration, which subsequently controls future hydrological responses through continuous feedback mechanisms. Traditional mathematical models appear insufficient to represent this complex behavior, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach integrating geomorphology, hydrology, soil science, and structural geology. The study concludes with the necessity of developing a new conceptual framework that considers drainage basins as dynamic systems possessing topographic memory and variable responses to storm events.