Anthropogenic Activity Effects on Canals Morphology, Case Study: Nile Delta, Egypt
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assess the impact of conjugated instances of anthropogenic activity and dredging on canal morphology and capacity, and determine the effects of a newly adopted policy for saving surface water through restoration of the canals' originally designed cross-sections.
Abstract: Waterways are usually contaminated with wastes from industrial, domestic or irrigation sectors. Organizations in charge have adopted solutions to eliminate this problem; however, the adopted solutions contribute indirectly to modifying canal morphology during maintenance. These are examples of anthropogenic activity, as well as randomly implemented dredging, which expand the canal cross-sections. Egypt is a country which depends on surface irrigation through a huge network of canals. The majority of canals in Egypt are subject to anthropogenic activity which affects their efficiency. This study aims to assess the impact of conjugated instances of anthropogenic activity and dredging on canal morphology and capacity. Five canals were selected in the current study in the Nile Delta, Egypt. These canals are highly affected by two associated factors: anthropogenic activity by users and dredging by the government. The study also aims to determine the effects of a newly adopted policy for saving surface water through restoration of the canals’ originally designed cross-sections. The results showed a clear change in canal morphology, which has increased the volume of water in the affected canals. In some cases, the volume of water has increased by 59%, which could have negative consequences for Egypt’s water resources. Sustainable management of water resources in Egypt requires saving each water droplet, and canal rehabilitation is expected to save about 6.56 million m3/year by the year 2022.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a floating photovoltaic system (FPVS) to cover a lake's water surface to reduce evaporation and also for energy production, which could help in increasing water resources and energy production in arid and semi-arid regions.
Abstract: The shortage of water is a major obstruction to the social and economic development of many countries, including Egypt. Therefore, there is an urgent need to properly manage water resources to achieve optimum water use. One way of saving available water resources is to reduce evaporation that leads to the loss of a large amount of water from reservoirs and open lakes. This paper aims to use a floating photovoltaic system (FPVS) to cover a lake’s water surface to reduce evaporation and also for energy production. This methodology was applied to Lake Nasser as one of the largest lakes in the world where much evaporation happens due to its large area, arid environments, and the shallow depths of some parts of the lake. The estimated evaporation from the lake was 12.0 × 109 m3/year. The results show that covering 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the lake can save about 2.1, 4.2, 6.3, 7.0, and 8.4 × 109 m3/year and produce energy of 2.85 × 109, 5.67 × 109, 8.54 × 109, and 11.38 × 109 MWh/year, respectively. Covering areas of shallow water depth was more efficient and economical. The results show that covering 15% of the lake’s area (depths from 0.0 to 3.0 m) can save 2.66 × 109 m3/year and produce 1.7 MWh/year. Covering 25% of the lake’s area (depths from 0.0 to 7.0) can save 3.5 × 109 m3/year and produce 2.854 MWh/year. Using an FPVS to cover parts of Lake Nasser could help manage water resources and energy production for Egypt to overcome the likely shortage of water resources due to population growth. This system could be applied in different locations of the world which could help in increasing water resources and energy production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions.
11 citations
Cites background from "Anthropogenic Activity Effects on C..."
...Egypt has already been facing water scarcity, and the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will further reduce Egypt’s share of water from the Nile River significantly [13]....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between anthropogenic activities, stressors and adverse effects based on previously acquired knowledge about the state of water quality in the Laborec River and the sources of pollution in the river basin was determined.
Abstract: Environmental risk assessment could be a valuable tool for water management since it can simulate the potential response of the aquatic system to changes such as the addition of organic pollution, an increase in nutrient levels or water abstraction rates and changes in sewage treatment operations. The negative effects of human activity on water quality are manifested both by the contamination of resources and by violation of the natural conditions of water circulation. This study aims to determine the relationships between anthropogenic activities, stressors and adverse effects based on previously acquired knowledge about the state of water quality in the Laborec River and the sources of pollution in the river basin. The exposure profile, developed within this research, is the output of an analysis of environmental risks in the studied river basin and is focused on an evaluation of the surface water quality in the Laborec River. The results from the evaluation are following: risk is characterized as acceptable in the upper section of the Laborec basin; it can be characterized as moderate to undesirable in the middle part of the river basin; and the risk is unacceptable in the lower part of the river basin, mainly due to industry. This results can identify the priority areas where measures for decreasing of the water pollution have to be done.
7 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of climate change on river bank filtration in the Nile Delta was investigated using the numerical code MT3D, and the results indicated that the RBF portion decreased from 67.42% in the base case to 35.46% and 64.99% with a reduction in river stage and a decrease in aquifer recharge.
Abstract: Changes in riverine hydrography and reduced aquifer recharge due to projected climate changes in arid and semi-arid regions are the main issues of water supply, especially in the Nile Delta, Egypt. Continuous degradation results from reduced Nile water flow, poor management of groundwater extraction, and human activities throughout the Nile’s course and drainage channels. Contamination of this water with heavy metals and dissolved organic solids reduces the quality of this water, which increases the price of treatment. River Bank Filtration (RBF) is a water treatment technology used for improving the quality of drinking water taken from polluted rivers where abstraction wells are installed on the banks. This study was applied to the RBF site at Embaba, Nile Delta, Egypt using the numerical code MT3D. The study was simulated and calibrated for the current situation and number of scenarios to investigate the effect of climatic changes on RBF sustainability. Four scenarios were simulated to identify and estimate the RBF portion and the total water travel time from the river to the wells. The first scenario involves a reduction in river stages, the second a decrease in aquifer recharge, the third a combination of the first two scenarios, and the fourth scenario combines scenarios 1, 2, and 3. The results indicate that the RBF portion decreased from 67.42% in the base case to 35.46% and 64.99% with a reduction in river stage by 75% from the base case and a decrease in aquifer recharge from 182.50 (base case) to 50 mm per year, respectively. Moreover, the RBF portion increased to reach 87.75% with a reduction in the General Head Boundary of 75% from the base case, while the combination of the three scenarios decreased the RBF portion to 67.24%. Finally, the water supply systems in arid and semi-arid regions should be extended by installing and operating RBF facilities to manage the negative effects of climatic change through reduction in river stages and aquifer recharge, and increasing abstraction due to overpopulation.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented a thorough approach based on the application of Landsat imagery from Global Forest Change during 2001-2019 to analyze the cumulative tree cover loss and Tree Cover Loss Rate.
Abstract: The Mediterranean Region currently faces major environmental issues that require constant analysis and monitoring. This study presents a thorough approach based on the application of Landsat imagery from Global Forest Change during 2001–2019. Spatial distribution mapping was one of the objectives of the study. We approached the analysis of tree cover loss areas by analyzing the cumulative tree cover loss and Tree Cover Loss Rate. This indicator offers information about the trend of tree cover loss in each Mediterranean country. A total of 581 Mha of deforested area was mapped during the analyzed period. Analysis was further supplemented by some statistical operations (distributions shown via histograms, validation via Shapiro–Wilk normality test, and testing via one-sample t-test). Agricultural expansion, intense forest fires, illegal logging, overgrazing (especially in the northern part of Africa), and extensive livestock farming have influenced the Mediterranean forest ecosystem’s stability. The continuation of these activities could cause extreme climatic events, severe degradation, and desertification.
5 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a wide range of approaches have been developed to mitigate hydrological impacts as well as the influence on water quality due to urbanization in the United States and Europe.
Abstract: In recent decades, a wide range of approaches have been developed to mitigate hydrological impacts as well as the influence on water quality due to urbanization [...]
2 citations
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TL;DR: The effects of natural processes and human influences in rural and urban aquatic systems, including pollution due to environmental parameters such as heavy metal pollution, heavy metals and bacterial and pathogenic contamination of both urban and rural areas are studied.
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