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Land use/land cover change impact on groundwater quantity and quality: a case study of Ajman Emirate, the United Arab Emirates, using remote sensing and GIS

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Abstract

Ajman is a rapidly urbanizing emirate with land development succeeding at a fast pace. This study aims to monitor land use/land cover changes and assesses the impact of these changes on groundwater quality and quantity of the shallow aquifer using multitemporal remote sensing data and geographic information system (GIS). To monitor the land use/land cover changes, the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) algorithms were utilized. The obtained maps were correlated against a set of total dissolved solid (TDS); Mg, Cl, and NO3 groundwater quality index; and depth to the groundwater table maps constructed from groundwater data. The spatial analysis revealed a sharp depletion in groundwater quality and quantity related to the increase in the land use/land cover classes. The mean total TDS is from 21,971 to 26,450 mg/L and depth to groundwater level from −12.33 to −17.2 m over a period of 15 years. Maps of normalized difference and groundwater quality sustainability showed that the eastern side of the study area has a high value of groundwater quality sustainability and normalized difference, while the western side of the study area has a minimal value of groundwater quality sustainability and normalized difference. This study is of great assistance for decision makers and land developers to relate to municipal land allotment in rapidly developing regions such as Ajman.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the assistance provided by the UAE National Water Center (NWC) and the UAE University Program for Advanced Research (UPAR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Samy Ismail Elmahdy & Mohamed Mostafa Mohamed

  2. Irrigation and Hydraulics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, P.O. Box 12211, Giza, Egypt

    Mohamed Mostafa Mohamed

Authors
  1. Samy Ismail Elmahdy
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  2. Mohamed Mostafa Mohamed
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Correspondence to Samy Ismail Elmahdy.

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Funding

This research was supported by funds from the UAE National Water Center (NWC) and the UAE University Program for Advanced Research (UPAR) (projects numbers NWC-3-2013-31R008 and UPAR-7-2013-31N166).

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Elmahdy, S.I., Mohamed, M.M. Land use/land cover change impact on groundwater quantity and quality: a case study of Ajman Emirate, the United Arab Emirates, using remote sensing and GIS. Arab J Geosci 9, 722 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2725-y

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