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An “out-of-the-depression” drainage solution to the land degradation problem in Siwa Oasis, Egypt

  • S. I. Geology of Africa
  • Published:
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Abstract

Across the millennia, agricultural activity in the oases of the Sahara was made possible thanks to the shallow water table. However, with the recent agricultural expansion, unsustainable practices were introduced with the result that a significant proportion of the areas under cultivation are waterlogged and salinized, of which the case of Siwa oasis is the most severe, where all the solutions implemented to date proved to be unsustainable. The present study suggests an “out-of-the-depression” solution, whereby the excess drainage water could be accommodated in a nearby depression without sacrificing a valuable land. To this end, remote sensing products and geographical information systems were used to assess the capacity of Al ‘Araj Depression, as a candidate sink for the drainage water flowing out of Siwa Depression, and to conduct a suitability analysis, which classifies the lands of the floor of Siwa Depression for the sake of digging a main west-to-east drain that ultimately leads to Al ‘Araj. The results show that Al ‘Araj would be sufficient to accommodate the extra drainage water of Siwa, and the suitability analysis reveals two possible alternatives for a proposed arterial west-to-east drain cutting through Siwa Depression. Moreover, the results are quite applicable to similar problems in the wider context of the African Sahara.

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Acknowledgements

The author highly acknowledges the assistance and the on-the-spot guidance by Mr. Ahmad Bakkur, a geographer and native of Siwa. Thanks also are due to Mr. Ali Ismail Othman, Siwa Drainage Inspectorate, for the fruitful discussions. The anonymous reviewer’s detailed and constructive comments are much appreciated. Special thank goes to Professor M A Abu Arab, Banha University, for the significant English language editing.

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  1. Geography Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

    Mona Sayed Hussein

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  1. Mona Sayed Hussein
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on New Advances and Research Results on the Geology of Africa

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Hussein, M.S. An “out-of-the-depression” drainage solution to the land degradation problem in Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 14, 740 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07100-8

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