Land degradation, desertification & environmental sensitivity to climate change in Alexandria and Beheira, Egypt

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 3-2024

Abstract

Land degradation is among the most critical forms of climate change that has socioeconomic repercussions world-wide, particularly in Egypt’s Nile Delta region. It is essential to inform of timely measurements of land degradation and evaluate his motives for the security of populations living on and near the Nile Delta. This paper calculates the Environmental Sensitivity Index using the MEDALUS-GEE (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use in the Google Earth Engine) approach for two of Egypt’s most climate-affected governorates, Alexandria and Beheira, on the district level. Results show that most of the districts in Alexandria, are highly sensitive to climate change and are unsuitable for farming owing to their proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. The rise in the sea level, which is reflected in the groundwater, as well as the geological composition of the region, is raising the soil salinity. Also, the highest degree of land degradation and/or desertification was concentrated in the hinterland of the Beheira Governorate. Causes include high salinity of the soil and groundwater, which makes it difficult to undertake land reclamation and cultivation. Hence, the study suggests a crop suitability plan for the areas under study, particularly those that are highly impacted by land degradation and desertification.

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