Planning for a sustainable development of land use requires a set of factors that represent techn... more Planning for a sustainable development of land use requires a set of factors that represent technical, bio-geophysical and socioeconomic aspects. Maintaining balance between society’s demands and environmental conservation requirements is the core issue of sustainable planning of land use. Many tools have been developed to aid in the implementation of such balance, including linear programming, computer simulation and other analysis support tools. Most of these tools are suitable for the economic analysis of sustainable planning in many fields, but in the field of land use allocation, the spatial approach is considered as the key player in academic research and executive proceedings. In this paper, a methodology is developed to solve the problem of land use allocation considering both bio-geophysical and socioeconomic aspects in a pilot area – El Daba’a Region in the north western coast of Egypt. This methodology attempts to develop a set of criteria for each land use by the stakeho...
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the e... more The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. For general guidance on matters relating to the use of maps in publications please go to:
With the rise of urbanization, change in lifestyles, and food habits, the amount of Municipal Sol... more With the rise of urbanization, change in lifestyles, and food habits, the amount of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been rapidly increasing with the composition constantly changing. Landfilling is the common approach for waste management in Kuwait, and around 90% of municipal wastes are disposed in landfill sites. Therefore, this study focused on the integration of different methods for the process of allocating optimum sites for MSW landfills, in four main stages. The first stage focused on utilizing the gap analysis method for the identification of effective criteria for landfill site selection, by comparing the criteria in Kuwait with the World Bank guidelines, US EPA, and Australia EPA, to suggest the best criteria for landfill site selection. These criteria were applied in the second and third stages to determine suitable locations for landfill sites using the Geographical Information System (GIS). In the last stage, the suitable areas were evaluated by studying the socioeconomic aspects such as distance to waste generation center, the proximity of existing roads, and lifespan to select optimum locations for landfilling. The results indicated that only one site with a total area of 12 km 2 was considered optimum for MSW landfill sites in Kuwait. Therefore, moderate suitability areas were indicated to support and provide decision makers with more options. The moderately suitable sites are also suitable for landfilling, but they need to be designed carefully in order to avoid negative impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, we conclude that there is an urgent need to apply the integrated waste management system in Kuwait, as well as to develop a long-term strategic plan.
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2013
In this study, Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques were integ... more In this study, Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques were integrated to map out and assess the changes of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) maps in
Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, Dec 1, 2014
This paper concentrates on studying, analyzing and assessing the potential effects of Municipal S... more This paper concentrates on studying, analyzing and assessing the potential effects of Municipal Solid Waste Management)MSWM(on Climate Change)CC(. The study was carried out through conducting a Greenhouse Gas)GHG(inventory, and calculating the past and future Methane Gas)CH 4 (emissions generated from Askar Landfill in Bahrain. The work was based on a methodology established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)USEPA(as well as an approach adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)IPCC(to determine the amounts of methane gas that can be generated from MSWM; and therefore to estimate, under different scenarios, the net amounts of methane gas sequestered and emitted from the landfill into the atmosphere. Specifically, the research approach, aimed at quantifying GHG emanating from Askar Landfill)whether released from or stored within the site(during the period 2000-2020. Also it aims at investigating the possibility of converting MSW from being a source of GHG emissions with adverse CC impacts to being a carbon sink to claim emissions reduction credits through proper management of such wastes. The amounts of biochemically biodegradable organic matter contained naturally within MSW were estimated throughout the study period, incorporating available data and future forecasts. The volume of methane gas emanating from Askar Landfill had reached 25 million m 3 in 2000 of a total mass estimated at 18 thousand tons or 106 thousand tons MTCE)Metric Tons Carbon Equivalent(, of which 10 thousand tons MTCE were detained within the landfill while about 95 thousand tons MTCE emitted into the atmosphere. Such quantities of generated methane gas have increased in the year 2008 to reach about 98 million m 3 in volume and 69 thousand tons in mass)i.e., equivalent to 408 thousand tons MTCE(, of which more than 40 thousand tons MTCE were sequestered within the landfill and 370 thousand tons MTCE discharged up to the outer atmosphere. In the Year 2020)at the end of the landfill's design-life(, considering population growth and MSW increase in Bahrain, the cumulative amounts of GHG predicted from Askar Landfill in terms of methane gas generation is anticipated to stretch up to 1975 million m 3 in volume and 8.3 million tons MTCE, of which 820 thousand tons MTCE is to be seized within the landfill and about 7.5 million tons MTCE is likely emit into the atmosphere, i.e., this is total over the entire 20 years period of landfill operation. From the above, it is clear that MSW sanitary landfills, though considered as significant sources of GHG emissions)particularly methane(contributing to global warming, are at the same time carbon storage vaults of some fractions of GHG resulting from the decomposing MSW mass as well as of the recalcitrant organic portions. The potential of carbon storage and sequestration at MSW landfills can be estimated at about 10-15% of the total quantity of biogas generated. As a result, the welldesigned and operated landfills form carbon sinks and natural depots for GHG, positively impacting the climate change phenomenon. They can also be utilized to gain)and trade(credits from carbon emissions reduction in order to secure additional financial resources to help funding integrated wastes management systems.
This study aims to map, examine and analyze the changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) in the main... more This study aims to map, examine and analyze the changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) in the main islands of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Bahrain, Muharraq, Sitra) during the period from 1998 to 2012.DPSIR was used as a qualitative approach to analyze driving Forces-Pressures that are mainly affect the LULC changes. While the quantitative analysis of the driving forces and landuse change was done using GIS analysis. Four LULC categories were recognized )Built up, Agriculture, Barren and Wet land(.The results revealed that the total area of the main islands has increased from 709.5 km2 in 1998, to more than 767 km2 in 2012.Consequently, Built up areas were increased from 126.3 km2 to 266.9 km2, while the Agriculture areas were decreased from 72.5 km2 in 1998 to 66.1 km2 in 2012 as a result of the expansion of cities and residential areas establishment. The Barren areas were decreased from 409.6 km2 in 1998 to 326.4 km2 in 2012. DPSIR )Driving forces - Pressures - State - Impact -Responses...
Urban areas in accordance with the standards of the third structural plan of the State of Kuwait,... more Urban areas in accordance with the standards of the third structural plan of the State of Kuwait, the ratio of population to the ratio of urban open space, population to the proportion of urban open space, and the coverage of open urban areas in residential suburbs to Total area, coverage ratio of open urban areas to total area, service range for suburban and residential beneficiaries, and distance of open urban areas from gas stations. The Suitability Analysis Method was used to select optimal locations for the establishment of new open urban areas, and the weight-of-standards method was selected for Weight Restrictions for Suitability Analyzing. The most common criterion for open spaces was the distance from gas stations, with 95% of suburbs meeting this standard. Through adequacy models, 17 areas were identified that matched the study criteria. Accordingly, the study recommended the necessity of establishing new open spaces, relying on GIS in identifying optimal locations for the...
This study aims to analyze the reasons for the increase in the frequency and severity of asthma a... more This study aims to analyze the reasons for the increase in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks among middle school students in the province of Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia in 2015. The methodology of the study focused on the distribution of a questionnaire to a sample of 91 students of public and private schools in the middle stage distributed in the six major cities of Al-Ahsa: Mubarraz, Eyes, Al-Jafr, Joatha, and Urbanism. School location data was collected using an iPhone, which uses the IOS operating system through mobile GIS software applications Environmental, urban, social, and behavioral metadata affecting the severity and frequency of asthma attacks were collected by distributing a questionnaire to the selected sample of female students. Data were organized and analyzed using GIS and statistical programs. School site maps were developed, and Geospatial Database was built in the GIS environment to collect, store and analyze study data. SPSS was used to analyze the survey...
This study aims to detect and analyze land-use, and land cover (LULC) changes in Sitra Island dur... more This study aims to detect and analyze land-use, and land cover (LULC) changes in Sitra Island during the past 50 years, from 1967 to 2018, and to assess changes in class categories of LULC for each year of the study. The data were collected from various sources such as aerial photographs, satellite images, maps, previous studies and reports of government projects in addition to official statistical data of the study period. GIS was used to prepare the required maps to detect changes LULC during the study period and construct two Vector and Raster Data Models. Six class categories of land (built-up, agricultural, barren, wet, reclaimed, and industrial) were identified. The results indicated that the total area of Sitra Island land increased from 8.08 km 2 in 1967 to 15.1 km 2 in 1998, and increased from 16.4 km 2 in 2009 to more than 22.5 km 2 in 2018. As a result, the area of agricultural land, which constituted more than 30.4% of the total island area, decreased from 2.5 km 2 in 19...
Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financ... more Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financial hub. Following the discovery of oil, Bahrain attracted skilled and unskilled expats. The Government initiated plans for urban development. Urban growth was at the expense of agricultural and desert lands in addition to reclaiming land from water bodies. Affluent Bahrainis moved to newer settlements. Low-income Bahrainis continued to live in the old quarters. Single male workers, mostly Asians, moved into dilapidated buildings in the old quarters of the city. The paper employs a mixed research approach. It uses Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to account for urban transformations; and as well as document review, interviews, and a questionnaire to understand the process underlying these transformations and their outcomes. The results show how globalisation and neoliberalism led Manama to emerge as a global city. Cultural identity and geographic location within the Bahr...
The Kingdom of Bahrain has experienced accelerated development growth since the 1980s. These rapi... more The Kingdom of Bahrain has experienced accelerated development growth since the 1980s. These rapid land demands increased the pressure on the country area to rebuild urban centers and cities surrounding the coast. The purpose of this research is to detect and investigate changes in land use and land cover (LULC), which is one of the most critical aspects of planning and managing the use of land as a natural resource. The massive growth in land demand, particularly in small-area countries like Bahrain, forces decision-makers to re-plan the main island areas (Bahrain, Muharraq, Sitra, and Nabih Saleh). The study focuses on mapping the LULC changes detection over 1986–2020. It employs an integrated approach of remote sensing and GIS (Geographic Information System) to analyze and evaluate the changes in the LULC area in the main islands using multi-temporal and multispectral Landsat satellite imagery acquired in 1986, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2020. In addition, high-resolution satell...
The CVI (coastal vulnerability index) was developed and used to assess the vulnerability of the c... more The CVI (coastal vulnerability index) was developed and used to assess the vulnerability of the coastline of the Kingdom of Bahrain main islands to future SLR (sea level rise). A total of 717 km of the coastline was evaluated. Six spatial factors acting on the coastal area: erosion/accretion patterns (shoreline change), topography (elevation above mean sea level), geology, geomorphology, slope, and mean sea level rise were incorporated and ranked to develop the CVI. This index was classified into four levels of vulnerability: low, moderate, high, and very high. Vulnerable hotspots are located along the central portions of the western and eastern coastlines. The vulnerability of these areas is mostly driven by their characteristically shallow coastal slopes, low elevations, and erosion-prone nature of the sandy soils presents, comprising about 54 km of the studied shoreline. Another 33 km of coastline were classified as highly vulnerable and located along the eastern coast. In additi...
Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financ... more Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financial hub. Following the discovery of oil, Bahrain attracted skilled and unskilled expats. The Government initiated plans for urban development. Urban growth was at the expense of agricultural and desert lands in addition to reclaiming land from water bodies. Affluent Bahrainis moved to newer settlements. Low-income Bahrainis continued to live in the old quarters. Single male workers, mostly Asians, moved into dilapidated buildings in the old quarters of the city. The paper employs a mixed research approach. It uses Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to account for urban transformations; and as well as document review, interviews, and a questionnaire to understand the process underlying these transformations and their outcomes. The results show how globalisation and neoliberalism led Manama to emerge as a global city. Cultural identity and geographic location within the Bahr...
Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering B
Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importan... more Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importance to plan management activities, especially in disturbed ecosystems like the ones in the marine areas of Bahrain. Remotely sensed Landsat-8 imagery coupled with field survey was used to identify, classify and map the benthic habitats in Bahrain marine area. The used geospatial techniques include advanced image processing procedures, which comprise of radiometric and atmospheric corrections, sun glint removal, water depth correction and image classification. Extensive ground-truthing analyses through in-situ field surveys by a team of scuba divers were conducted in October 2014 and June 2015 to inform and refine the classifications. The variables collected from this survey included physical and chemical characteristics of the water, habitat type, substrata, fauna and flora. A total of 176 field points were collected and utilized to perform an accurate assessment of the image classification. Initial habitat classification resulted in 20 habitat categories. However, due to the inability of the Landsat-8 sensors to accurately discriminate that level of classification, categories were merged into seven classes. The derived map shows that the benthic marine habitats of Bahrain consist of deep water (2,523 km 2), rock (1,738 km 2), sand (1,191 km 2), deep water/sand (1,006 km 2), algae (922 km 2), seagrass (591 km 2) and corals (275.50 km 2). Although limited by the spatial and spectral resolutions of Landsat 8, the used methods produced a suitable map of the benthic habitats within the marine area of Bahrain with an overall accuracy of 84.1%. The use of very high spatial resolution satellite imagery will most likely increase such accuracy significantly.
Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importan... more Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importance to plan management activities, especially in disturbed ecosystems like the ones in the marine areas of Bahrain. Remotely sensed Landsat-8 imagery coupled with field survey was used to identify, classify and map the benthic habitats in Bahrain marine area. The used geospatial techniques include advanced image processing procedures, which comprise of radiometric and atmospheric corrections, sun glint removal, water depth correction and image classification. Extensive ground-truthing analyses through in-situ field surveys by a team of scuba divers were conducted in October 2014 and June 2015 to inform and refine the classifications. The variables collected from this survey included physical and chemical characteristics of the water, habitat type, substrata, fauna and flora. A total of 176 field points were collected and utilized to perform an accurate assessment of the image classification. Initial habitat classification resulted in 20 habitat categories. However, due to the inability of the Landsat-8 sensors to accurately discriminate that level of classification, categories were merged into seven classes. The derived map shows that the benthic marine habitats of Bahrain consist of deep water (2,523 km 2), rock (1,738 km 2), sand (1,191 km 2), deep water/sand (1,006 km 2), algae (922 km 2), seagrass (591 km 2) and corals (275.50 km 2). Although limited by the spatial and spectral resolutions of Landsat 8, the used methods produced a suitable map of the benthic habitats within the marine area of Bahrain with an overall accuracy of 84.1%. The use of very high spatial resolution satellite imagery will most likely increase such accuracy significantly.
Résumé/Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the ecological characteristics of El-Daba&... more Résumé/Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the ecological characteristics of El-Daba'a area in Egypt using GIS as a first step for the development of an environmental management plan for the area. The Absence of environmental planning in the process of ...
Planning for a sustainable development of land use requires a set of factors that represent techn... more Planning for a sustainable development of land use requires a set of factors that represent technical, bio-geophysical and socioeconomic aspects. Maintaining balance between society’s demands and environmental conservation requirements is the core issue of sustainable planning of land use. Many tools have been developed to aid in the implementation of such balance, including linear programming, computer simulation and other analysis support tools. Most of these tools are suitable for the economic analysis of sustainable planning in many fields, but in the field of land use allocation, the spatial approach is considered as the key player in academic research and executive proceedings. In this paper, a methodology is developed to solve the problem of land use allocation considering both bio-geophysical and socioeconomic aspects in a pilot area – El Daba’a Region in the north western coast of Egypt. This methodology attempts to develop a set of criteria for each land use by the stakeho...
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the e... more The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. For general guidance on matters relating to the use of maps in publications please go to:
With the rise of urbanization, change in lifestyles, and food habits, the amount of Municipal Sol... more With the rise of urbanization, change in lifestyles, and food habits, the amount of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been rapidly increasing with the composition constantly changing. Landfilling is the common approach for waste management in Kuwait, and around 90% of municipal wastes are disposed in landfill sites. Therefore, this study focused on the integration of different methods for the process of allocating optimum sites for MSW landfills, in four main stages. The first stage focused on utilizing the gap analysis method for the identification of effective criteria for landfill site selection, by comparing the criteria in Kuwait with the World Bank guidelines, US EPA, and Australia EPA, to suggest the best criteria for landfill site selection. These criteria were applied in the second and third stages to determine suitable locations for landfill sites using the Geographical Information System (GIS). In the last stage, the suitable areas were evaluated by studying the socioeconomic aspects such as distance to waste generation center, the proximity of existing roads, and lifespan to select optimum locations for landfilling. The results indicated that only one site with a total area of 12 km 2 was considered optimum for MSW landfill sites in Kuwait. Therefore, moderate suitability areas were indicated to support and provide decision makers with more options. The moderately suitable sites are also suitable for landfilling, but they need to be designed carefully in order to avoid negative impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, we conclude that there is an urgent need to apply the integrated waste management system in Kuwait, as well as to develop a long-term strategic plan.
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2013
In this study, Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques were integ... more In this study, Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques were integrated to map out and assess the changes of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) maps in
Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, Dec 1, 2014
This paper concentrates on studying, analyzing and assessing the potential effects of Municipal S... more This paper concentrates on studying, analyzing and assessing the potential effects of Municipal Solid Waste Management)MSWM(on Climate Change)CC(. The study was carried out through conducting a Greenhouse Gas)GHG(inventory, and calculating the past and future Methane Gas)CH 4 (emissions generated from Askar Landfill in Bahrain. The work was based on a methodology established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)USEPA(as well as an approach adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)IPCC(to determine the amounts of methane gas that can be generated from MSWM; and therefore to estimate, under different scenarios, the net amounts of methane gas sequestered and emitted from the landfill into the atmosphere. Specifically, the research approach, aimed at quantifying GHG emanating from Askar Landfill)whether released from or stored within the site(during the period 2000-2020. Also it aims at investigating the possibility of converting MSW from being a source of GHG emissions with adverse CC impacts to being a carbon sink to claim emissions reduction credits through proper management of such wastes. The amounts of biochemically biodegradable organic matter contained naturally within MSW were estimated throughout the study period, incorporating available data and future forecasts. The volume of methane gas emanating from Askar Landfill had reached 25 million m 3 in 2000 of a total mass estimated at 18 thousand tons or 106 thousand tons MTCE)Metric Tons Carbon Equivalent(, of which 10 thousand tons MTCE were detained within the landfill while about 95 thousand tons MTCE emitted into the atmosphere. Such quantities of generated methane gas have increased in the year 2008 to reach about 98 million m 3 in volume and 69 thousand tons in mass)i.e., equivalent to 408 thousand tons MTCE(, of which more than 40 thousand tons MTCE were sequestered within the landfill and 370 thousand tons MTCE discharged up to the outer atmosphere. In the Year 2020)at the end of the landfill's design-life(, considering population growth and MSW increase in Bahrain, the cumulative amounts of GHG predicted from Askar Landfill in terms of methane gas generation is anticipated to stretch up to 1975 million m 3 in volume and 8.3 million tons MTCE, of which 820 thousand tons MTCE is to be seized within the landfill and about 7.5 million tons MTCE is likely emit into the atmosphere, i.e., this is total over the entire 20 years period of landfill operation. From the above, it is clear that MSW sanitary landfills, though considered as significant sources of GHG emissions)particularly methane(contributing to global warming, are at the same time carbon storage vaults of some fractions of GHG resulting from the decomposing MSW mass as well as of the recalcitrant organic portions. The potential of carbon storage and sequestration at MSW landfills can be estimated at about 10-15% of the total quantity of biogas generated. As a result, the welldesigned and operated landfills form carbon sinks and natural depots for GHG, positively impacting the climate change phenomenon. They can also be utilized to gain)and trade(credits from carbon emissions reduction in order to secure additional financial resources to help funding integrated wastes management systems.
This study aims to map, examine and analyze the changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) in the main... more This study aims to map, examine and analyze the changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) in the main islands of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Bahrain, Muharraq, Sitra) during the period from 1998 to 2012.DPSIR was used as a qualitative approach to analyze driving Forces-Pressures that are mainly affect the LULC changes. While the quantitative analysis of the driving forces and landuse change was done using GIS analysis. Four LULC categories were recognized )Built up, Agriculture, Barren and Wet land(.The results revealed that the total area of the main islands has increased from 709.5 km2 in 1998, to more than 767 km2 in 2012.Consequently, Built up areas were increased from 126.3 km2 to 266.9 km2, while the Agriculture areas were decreased from 72.5 km2 in 1998 to 66.1 km2 in 2012 as a result of the expansion of cities and residential areas establishment. The Barren areas were decreased from 409.6 km2 in 1998 to 326.4 km2 in 2012. DPSIR )Driving forces - Pressures - State - Impact -Responses...
Urban areas in accordance with the standards of the third structural plan of the State of Kuwait,... more Urban areas in accordance with the standards of the third structural plan of the State of Kuwait, the ratio of population to the ratio of urban open space, population to the proportion of urban open space, and the coverage of open urban areas in residential suburbs to Total area, coverage ratio of open urban areas to total area, service range for suburban and residential beneficiaries, and distance of open urban areas from gas stations. The Suitability Analysis Method was used to select optimal locations for the establishment of new open urban areas, and the weight-of-standards method was selected for Weight Restrictions for Suitability Analyzing. The most common criterion for open spaces was the distance from gas stations, with 95% of suburbs meeting this standard. Through adequacy models, 17 areas were identified that matched the study criteria. Accordingly, the study recommended the necessity of establishing new open spaces, relying on GIS in identifying optimal locations for the...
This study aims to analyze the reasons for the increase in the frequency and severity of asthma a... more This study aims to analyze the reasons for the increase in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks among middle school students in the province of Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia in 2015. The methodology of the study focused on the distribution of a questionnaire to a sample of 91 students of public and private schools in the middle stage distributed in the six major cities of Al-Ahsa: Mubarraz, Eyes, Al-Jafr, Joatha, and Urbanism. School location data was collected using an iPhone, which uses the IOS operating system through mobile GIS software applications Environmental, urban, social, and behavioral metadata affecting the severity and frequency of asthma attacks were collected by distributing a questionnaire to the selected sample of female students. Data were organized and analyzed using GIS and statistical programs. School site maps were developed, and Geospatial Database was built in the GIS environment to collect, store and analyze study data. SPSS was used to analyze the survey...
This study aims to detect and analyze land-use, and land cover (LULC) changes in Sitra Island dur... more This study aims to detect and analyze land-use, and land cover (LULC) changes in Sitra Island during the past 50 years, from 1967 to 2018, and to assess changes in class categories of LULC for each year of the study. The data were collected from various sources such as aerial photographs, satellite images, maps, previous studies and reports of government projects in addition to official statistical data of the study period. GIS was used to prepare the required maps to detect changes LULC during the study period and construct two Vector and Raster Data Models. Six class categories of land (built-up, agricultural, barren, wet, reclaimed, and industrial) were identified. The results indicated that the total area of Sitra Island land increased from 8.08 km 2 in 1967 to 15.1 km 2 in 1998, and increased from 16.4 km 2 in 2009 to more than 22.5 km 2 in 2018. As a result, the area of agricultural land, which constituted more than 30.4% of the total island area, decreased from 2.5 km 2 in 19...
Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financ... more Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financial hub. Following the discovery of oil, Bahrain attracted skilled and unskilled expats. The Government initiated plans for urban development. Urban growth was at the expense of agricultural and desert lands in addition to reclaiming land from water bodies. Affluent Bahrainis moved to newer settlements. Low-income Bahrainis continued to live in the old quarters. Single male workers, mostly Asians, moved into dilapidated buildings in the old quarters of the city. The paper employs a mixed research approach. It uses Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to account for urban transformations; and as well as document review, interviews, and a questionnaire to understand the process underlying these transformations and their outcomes. The results show how globalisation and neoliberalism led Manama to emerge as a global city. Cultural identity and geographic location within the Bahr...
The Kingdom of Bahrain has experienced accelerated development growth since the 1980s. These rapi... more The Kingdom of Bahrain has experienced accelerated development growth since the 1980s. These rapid land demands increased the pressure on the country area to rebuild urban centers and cities surrounding the coast. The purpose of this research is to detect and investigate changes in land use and land cover (LULC), which is one of the most critical aspects of planning and managing the use of land as a natural resource. The massive growth in land demand, particularly in small-area countries like Bahrain, forces decision-makers to re-plan the main island areas (Bahrain, Muharraq, Sitra, and Nabih Saleh). The study focuses on mapping the LULC changes detection over 1986–2020. It employs an integrated approach of remote sensing and GIS (Geographic Information System) to analyze and evaluate the changes in the LULC area in the main islands using multi-temporal and multispectral Landsat satellite imagery acquired in 1986, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2020. In addition, high-resolution satell...
The CVI (coastal vulnerability index) was developed and used to assess the vulnerability of the c... more The CVI (coastal vulnerability index) was developed and used to assess the vulnerability of the coastline of the Kingdom of Bahrain main islands to future SLR (sea level rise). A total of 717 km of the coastline was evaluated. Six spatial factors acting on the coastal area: erosion/accretion patterns (shoreline change), topography (elevation above mean sea level), geology, geomorphology, slope, and mean sea level rise were incorporated and ranked to develop the CVI. This index was classified into four levels of vulnerability: low, moderate, high, and very high. Vulnerable hotspots are located along the central portions of the western and eastern coastlines. The vulnerability of these areas is mostly driven by their characteristically shallow coastal slopes, low elevations, and erosion-prone nature of the sandy soils presents, comprising about 54 km of the studied shoreline. Another 33 km of coastline were classified as highly vulnerable and located along the eastern coast. In additi...
Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financ... more Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a major port in the Arabian Gulf, a financial hub. Following the discovery of oil, Bahrain attracted skilled and unskilled expats. The Government initiated plans for urban development. Urban growth was at the expense of agricultural and desert lands in addition to reclaiming land from water bodies. Affluent Bahrainis moved to newer settlements. Low-income Bahrainis continued to live in the old quarters. Single male workers, mostly Asians, moved into dilapidated buildings in the old quarters of the city. The paper employs a mixed research approach. It uses Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to account for urban transformations; and as well as document review, interviews, and a questionnaire to understand the process underlying these transformations and their outcomes. The results show how globalisation and neoliberalism led Manama to emerge as a global city. Cultural identity and geographic location within the Bahr...
Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering B
Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importan... more Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importance to plan management activities, especially in disturbed ecosystems like the ones in the marine areas of Bahrain. Remotely sensed Landsat-8 imagery coupled with field survey was used to identify, classify and map the benthic habitats in Bahrain marine area. The used geospatial techniques include advanced image processing procedures, which comprise of radiometric and atmospheric corrections, sun glint removal, water depth correction and image classification. Extensive ground-truthing analyses through in-situ field surveys by a team of scuba divers were conducted in October 2014 and June 2015 to inform and refine the classifications. The variables collected from this survey included physical and chemical characteristics of the water, habitat type, substrata, fauna and flora. A total of 176 field points were collected and utilized to perform an accurate assessment of the image classification. Initial habitat classification resulted in 20 habitat categories. However, due to the inability of the Landsat-8 sensors to accurately discriminate that level of classification, categories were merged into seven classes. The derived map shows that the benthic marine habitats of Bahrain consist of deep water (2,523 km 2), rock (1,738 km 2), sand (1,191 km 2), deep water/sand (1,006 km 2), algae (922 km 2), seagrass (591 km 2) and corals (275.50 km 2). Although limited by the spatial and spectral resolutions of Landsat 8, the used methods produced a suitable map of the benthic habitats within the marine area of Bahrain with an overall accuracy of 84.1%. The use of very high spatial resolution satellite imagery will most likely increase such accuracy significantly.
Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importan... more Identification and classification, as well as mapping of marine habitats, are of primary importance to plan management activities, especially in disturbed ecosystems like the ones in the marine areas of Bahrain. Remotely sensed Landsat-8 imagery coupled with field survey was used to identify, classify and map the benthic habitats in Bahrain marine area. The used geospatial techniques include advanced image processing procedures, which comprise of radiometric and atmospheric corrections, sun glint removal, water depth correction and image classification. Extensive ground-truthing analyses through in-situ field surveys by a team of scuba divers were conducted in October 2014 and June 2015 to inform and refine the classifications. The variables collected from this survey included physical and chemical characteristics of the water, habitat type, substrata, fauna and flora. A total of 176 field points were collected and utilized to perform an accurate assessment of the image classification. Initial habitat classification resulted in 20 habitat categories. However, due to the inability of the Landsat-8 sensors to accurately discriminate that level of classification, categories were merged into seven classes. The derived map shows that the benthic marine habitats of Bahrain consist of deep water (2,523 km 2), rock (1,738 km 2), sand (1,191 km 2), deep water/sand (1,006 km 2), algae (922 km 2), seagrass (591 km 2) and corals (275.50 km 2). Although limited by the spatial and spectral resolutions of Landsat 8, the used methods produced a suitable map of the benthic habitats within the marine area of Bahrain with an overall accuracy of 84.1%. The use of very high spatial resolution satellite imagery will most likely increase such accuracy significantly.
Résumé/Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the ecological characteristics of El-Daba&... more Résumé/Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the ecological characteristics of El-Daba'a area in Egypt using GIS as a first step for the development of an environmental management plan for the area. The Absence of environmental planning in the process of ...
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