NARSSWater Resources Assessment and Future Land use planning of the area located to the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt
Water resources in Ain El Sukhna area play an important role in providing a source of potable water for land use and construction of new settlements. Remote sensing, GIS, hydrogeology, geochemistry and environmental isotopes were integrated in this study to assess groundwater resources recharging and landuse planning. The structural setting of the study area affected to a great extent the hydrogeological regime of the aquifer systems of the study area and resulted in the initiation of fracture or flowing springs. This same setting, especially the deep-sated faults, was responsible for the hydrochemical and isotopic composition of the groundwater of the study area. The water level at the area of the Miocene aquifer in the northern parts of the study area is higher than that of the Quaternary aquifer areas. This means that, the Miocene aquifer is the main source of recharge to the Quaternary aquifer. The main flow of water in the study area is directed from west, northwest and south to east and southeast. This gave evidence that the main recharge is coming from the upland areas, which lead to rainfall water storage in the sediments of these areas. In the northwestern coastal zone of the Gulf of Suez region, the groundwater is being excessively pumped thorough a number of domestic and commercial wells. For this sake, recent groundwater recharging by direct rainfall and surface runoff water needs to be maximized and optimized. The hydrographic basins of the study area are distinguished into five hydrographic basins. These basins are W. Ghweibba, W. Badaa, W. Hagul, W. Hammtih and W. South Hagul. The construction of retardation dams in some selected locations will enhance the groundwater recharging, or at least minimize the flood damage with the concomitant increase in seepage/runoff ratio. The sites selection of these dams was determined according to several criteria, e.g. soil characteristics, soil infiltration capacity, slope factors, morphometric characteristics and flood mitigation measurements.
NARSS Project Members
- Prof. El-Sayed M. Abu El-Ella
- Dr. Attef Zein El Abedin
- Ass. Res. .Hazem M. Habib
Funding Agencies
- NARSS
Partner Agencies
- NARSS-Egypt
Division : Engineering Applications and Water Resources