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Earth Observations for Egyptian Coastal Lakes Monitoring and Management

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Egyptian Coastal Lakes and Wetlands: Part II

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 72))

Abstract

Earth observation tools started as early as 1970s with some limited technologies at both spectral and spatial resolution. Since then, this technology has advanced at both dimensions. Data availability and data sharing policies are also improved enabling data availability for developing countries. Such availability fostered various environmental researches among which, the coastal monitoring and management. The coastal lakes’ system in Egypt has been developed with the formation of the delta and undergone severe changes in the last decades. Remote sensing has been used as a good monitoring and mapping tool for physical, biochemical, and geomorphological features of the northern coastal lakes. For example, the accelerated area cutoff occurred due to the continuous human activities and infrastructures that could be delineated through satellite imageries. Remote sensing helped to determine the lost area of each lake with the highest rate at Lake Idku (73% in 40 years), followed by Lake Manzala (42% in 60 years), and Lake Burullus (38% in 60 years). Lake Bardawil – to some extent – is isolated from the excessive land use and land cover activities, and therefore it is partially saved from severe changes and area losses. On the other hand, the existence of several national infrastructures such as railways and highways has changed the shape of the coastal lakes. For example, Lake Mariout has changed from only one body of water mass into four dissected basins, and Lake Manzala is divided into two sectors by the new national coastal road.

Remotely sensed data also enabled to estimate biophysical parameters including surface temperature, salinity, turbidity, and chlorophyll-a. For instance, it showed that Lake Bardawil has reduced levels of Chl-a (<13 mg/L) all over the year due to its isolation from drainage water and wastes (i.e., human and/or agriculture). The other coastal lakes, however have higher Chl-a levels that vary seasonally and even monthly due to the various wastes and drainage inflows. It also showed the spatial variations and Chl-a distribution along the lake on a single time with minimum values at northern part of the lakes, where the connection to the sea and higher levels downward confirms the effect of wastes and pollutants entering the lakes. With regard to spatial modeling and prediction, the IPCC model for sea level rise simulation indicated that the Egyptian coastal lakes are highly vulnerable to inundation through sea level rising with more than one predicting scenario and this would affect dramatically the whole ecosystem, particularly the aquatic environment. From a positive perspective, existence of these coastal lakes along the Mediterranean coast would play as the first-row defense for the delta zone. In this regard, applications of remotely sensed data could be used for the rehabilitation and management planning for lakes and help to exploit their natural resources and save their contribution to the national economy.

The original version of this chapter was revised. An erratum to this chapter can be found at DOI 10.1007/698_2018_287.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Authority for Remote Sensing & Space Sciences, Cairo, Egypt

    Islam Abou El-Magd

  2. Environmental Sciences Division, Faculty of Science, Suez University, Suez, Egypt

    Elham Ali

Authors
  1. Islam Abou El-Magd
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  2. Elham Ali
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Correspondence to Islam Abou El-Magd .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Abdelazim M. Negm

  2. Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Mohamed Ali Bek

  3. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sommer Abdel-Fattah

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Abou El-Magd, I., Ali, E. (2017). Earth Observations for Egyptian Coastal Lakes Monitoring and Management. In: Negm, A., Bek, M., Abdel-Fattah, S. (eds) Egyptian Coastal Lakes and Wetlands: Part II. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 72. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2017_79

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