Modeling the Impact of Lining and Covering Irrigation Canals on Underlying Groundwater Stores in the Nile Delta, Egypt

Groundwater is the main source of drinking water in the Nile Delta. Unfortunately, it might be polluted by seepage from polluted streams. This study was carried out to investigate the possible measures &#160;to &#160;protect groundwater&#160; in the Nile delta aquifer using a numerical model (MT3DMS - Mass Transport 3-Dimension Multi-Species). The sources of groundwater contamination were identified and the total dissolved solids (TDS) was taken as an indicator for the contamination. Different strategies were investigated for mitigating the impact of polluted water: i) allocating polluted drains and canals in lower permeability layers; ii) &#160;installing cut-off walls in the polluted drains, and finally, iii) using lining materials in polluted drains and canals. Results indicated these measures effective to mitigate the groundwater pollution. In particular, the cut-off wall was effective for contamination reduction in shallow aquifers, whereas it had no effect in the deep aquifer, while lining materials in polluted drains and canals were able to prevent contamination and to protect the freshwater in the aquifers. &#160;It is worth mentioning that this study was partially supported by a bilateral project between ASRT (Egypt) and CNR (Italy).&#160;&#160;

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The impact of climate changes on the water footprint of wheat and maize production in the Nile Delta, Egypt

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140770 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 743 ◽

pp. 140770 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmed Elbeltagi ◽

Muhammad Rizwan Aslam ◽

Anurag Malik ◽

Behrouz Mehdinejadiani ◽

Ankur Srivastava ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Changes ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Nile Delta ◽

Maize Production ◽

The Impact

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Three Decades Monitoring of Shoreline Change Pattern of Damietta Promontory, Nile Delta, Egypt

Aquatic Science and Technology ◽

10.5296/ast.v8i2.17087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Ayman A. El-Gamal ◽

Sherif H. Balbaa ◽

Mohamed A. Rashed ◽

Ahmed S. Mansour

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Coastal Area ◽

Nile Delta ◽

Shoreline Change ◽

Sediment Flux ◽

Heavy Minerals ◽

Nile River ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Change Pattern ◽

The Impact

The Nile Delta is located on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast extending along nearly 240 km from the east of Alexandria to Port Said. The coastal area of the Nile Delta Promontories has been suffering extensive erosion problem. This was achieved after the construction of many water regulation structures in Nile River as dams and barrages, particularly the Aswan High Dam. It has nearly stopped the sediment flux carried by the Nile River to the Delta. This process has caused the Mediterranean Sea to reshape the Nile Delta coastal area. In order to cease these problems several engineering hard structures have been built. These structures avoided in ceasing the problem in the site of construction but shifted the erosion problem to the adjacent sites. This study aimed to analyze the shoreline change pattern on the term of three decades during the period between 1985 to 2015 at the coastal strip of Damietta Promontory and the impact of these protective structures on the coastal area. This was accomplished by the automated delineation of the successive shorelines covering this period using remote sensing imagery. The shorelines were extracted using the MNDWI index. The extracted shorelines were manipulated through the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software. The shoreline change rates were compared with sediments grain size for the past thirty years, heavy minerals content and radioactivity of recent marine sediment samples collected from different locations of marine profiles over the study area. The study revealed that Damietta Promontory has suffered from erosion during the study period reached its maximum shoreline retreat at the eastern side, nearly – 43 m/y. The total cumulative shoreline regression during the study period at this area was 1311m. The relation between the shoreline change process (erosion or accretion) and the physical parameters of coastal sediment showed that; as erosion increases, the heavy minerals content and radioactivity increases, while the mean grain size decreases and vice versa.

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Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Groundwater Extraction Scenarios on Fresh Groundwater Resources in the Nile Delta Governorates, Egypt

Water ◽

10.3390/w10111690 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1690 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Marmar Mabrouk ◽

Andreja Jonoski ◽

Gualbert H. P. Oude Essink ◽

Stefan Uhlenbrook

Keyword(s):

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Nile Delta ◽

Saline Water ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Salt Transport ◽

Groundwater Extraction ◽

Fresh Groundwater ◽

The Impact

As Egypt’s population increases, the demand for fresh groundwater extraction will intensify. Consequently, the groundwater quality will deteriorate, including an increase in salinization. On the other hand, salinization caused by saltwater intrusion in the coastal Nile Delta Aquifer (NDA) is also threatening the groundwater resources. The aim of this article is to assess the situation in 2010 (since this is when most data is sufficiently available) regarding the available fresh groundwater resources and to evaluate future salinization in the NDA using a 3D variable-density groundwater flow model coupled with salt transport that was developed with SEAWAT. This is achieved by examining six future scenarios that combine two driving forces: increased extraction and sea level rise (SLR). Given the prognosis of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), the scenarios are used to assess the impact of groundwater extraction versus SLR on the seawater intrusion in the Delta and evaluate their contributions to increased groundwater salinization. The results show that groundwater extraction has a greater impact on salinization of the NDA than SLR, while the two factors combined cause the largest reduction of available fresh groundwater resources. The significant findings of this research are the determination of the groundwater volumes of fresh water, brackish, light brackish and saline water in the NDA as a whole and in each governorate and the identification of the governorates that are most vulnerable to salinization. It is highly recommended that the results of this analysis are considered in future mitigation and/or adaptation plans.

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Community-based wastewater treatment systems and water quality of an Indonesian village

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2013.003 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 196-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

H. S. Lim ◽

L. Y. Lee ◽

S. E. Bramono

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Chemical Oxygen Demand ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Oxygen Demand ◽

Small Scale ◽

Irrigation Canals ◽

Community Based ◽

E Coli ◽

The Impact

This paper examines the impact of community-based water treatment systems on water quality in a peri-urban village in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Water samples were taken from the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), irrigation canals, paddy fields and wells during the dry and wet seasons. The samples were tested for biological and chemical oxygen demand, nutrients (ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen and total phosphorus) and Escherichia coli. Water quality in this village is affected by the presence of active septic tanks, WWTP effluent discharge, small-scale tempe industries and external sources. We found that the WWTPs remove oxygen-demanding wastes effectively but discharged nutrients, such as nitrate and ammonia, into irrigation canals. Irrigation canals had high levels of E. coli as well as oxygen-demanding wastes. Well samples had high E. coli, nitrate and total nitrogen levels. Rainfall tended to increase concentrations of biological and chemical oxygen demand and some nutrients. All our samples fell within the drinking water standards for nitrate but failed the international and Indonesian standards for E. coli. Water quality in this village can be improved by improving the WWTP treatment of nutrients, encouraging more villagers to be connected to WWTPs and controlling hotspot contamination areas in the village.

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An Investigation Concerning the Impact of Climate Changes on the Water Equilibrium in the Egyptian Nile Delta

Annals of Valahia University of Targoviste Geographical Series ◽

10.1515/avutgs-2017-0006 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 58-69

Author(s):

Mohamed A. Ashour ◽

Tawab E. Aly ◽

Yousra A. Eldegwee

Keyword(s):

Ground Water ◽

Water Level ◽

Climate Changes ◽

Sea Water ◽

Nile Delta ◽

Salt Water ◽

Water Level Rise ◽

Productive Land ◽

Water Equilibrium ◽

The Impact

AbstractIn such problematic water situation in Egypt, control and saving of the available limited quantity takes great importance from both technical and national points of view. In addition to all the well-known traditional reasons of the problem such as pollution, over usage, and bad traditions of dealing with water, a new very important reason is added nowadays, called “Climate Changes” which has a direct impact on sea water rising, that causes a serious attack of the salt water to the fresh water especially in River Deltas., Not only the surface water, but also the ground water. Since that process proved some acceleration, several investigations have recently considered the worst impacts of climate change and sea water level rise on sea water intrusion. Most of them have revealed the severity of such problem, and the significance of the land movement of the dispersion zone under the sea water level rise situation. In this paper, we try to introduce a technical review and study for the most popular studies concerning our topic, and its most important conclusions, as an approach for preparing the Ph.D. thesis about the Nile Delta water equilibrium in the light of the expected Mediterranean Sea water level rise. Nile Delta, which located between Damietta Branch on the East, and Rosetta Branch on the west, occupies about 20000 square kilometers of the most rich, productive land in Egypt. About 50% of Egyptian population live in that area, agriculture is the main human activities on them, so water is the prime factor in their life, and their agriculture investments. The great amount of this investment depends on the ground water, which faces a serious challenge due to, two reasons, first, is the overuse, and over pumping, while the second is the attack of the salt water due to the Mediterranean Seawater level rise, because of the climate changes. These two reasons must be overcome, if the first reason can be controlled by law, and technical roles, the second reason needs intensive studies and investigations concerning the interaction between seawater and fresh ground water.

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Sequence stratigraphic controls on reservoir characterization and architecture: case study of the Messinian Abu Madi incised-valley fill, Egypt

Open Geosciences ◽

10.2478/s13533-012-0144-5 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mohamed Abdel-Fattah ◽

Roger Slatt

Keyword(s):

Reservoir Characterization ◽

Nile Delta ◽

Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽

Incised Valley ◽

Sequence Stratigraphic ◽

Valley Fill ◽

Body Distribution ◽

Stratigraphic Framework ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

AbstractUnderstanding sequence stratigraphy architecture in the incised-valley is a crucial step to understanding the effect of relative sea level changes on reservoir characterization and architecture. This paper presents a sequence stratigraphic framework of the incised-valley strata within the late Messinian Abu Madi Formation based on seismic and borehole data. Analysis of sand-body distribution reveals that fluvial channel sandstones in the Abu Madi Formation in the Baltim Fields, offshore Nile Delta, Egypt, are not randomly distributed but are predictable in their spatial and stratigraphic position. Elucidation of the distribution of sandstones in the Abu Madi incised-valley fill within a sequence stratigraphic framework allows a better understanding of their characterization and architecture during burial.Strata of the Abu Madi Formation are interpreted to comprise two sequences, which are the most complex stratigraphically; their deposits comprise a complex incised valley fill. The lower sequence (SQ1) consists of a thick incised valley-fill of a Lowstand Systems Tract (LST1)) overlain by a Transgressive Systems Tract (TST1) and Highstand Systems Tract (HST1). The upper sequence (SQ2) contains channel-fill and is interpreted as a LST2 which has a thin sandstone channel deposits. Above this, channel-fill sandstone and related strata with tidal influence delineates the base of TST2, which is overlain by a HST2. Gas reservoirs of the Abu Madi Formation (present-day depth ∼3552 m), the Baltim Fields, Egypt, consist of fluvial lowstand systems tract (LST) sandstones deposited in an incised valley. LST sandstones have a wide range of porosity (15 to 28%) and permeability (1 to 5080mD), which reflect both depositional facies and diagenetic controls.This work demonstrates the value of constraining and evaluating the impact of sequence stratigraphic distribution on reservoir characterization and architecture in incised-valley deposits, and thus has an important impact on reservoir quality evolution in hydrocarbon exploration in such settings.

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The impact of some anthropogenic activities on river Nile delta wetland ecosystems

Global Journal of Ecology ◽

10.17352/gje.000008 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 001-007

Author(s):

El-Shazly MM

Keyword(s):

Nile Delta ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

River Nile ◽

Wetland Ecosystems ◽

The Impact

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Multivariate Analysis of Soil Salinity in a Semi-Humid Irrigated District of China: Concern about a Recent Water Project

Water ◽

10.3390/w12082104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 2104

Author(s):

Jing Zhang ◽

Dong Du ◽

Dongli Ji ◽

Yaonan Bai ◽

Wanjun Jiang

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Soil Salinity ◽

Surface Soil ◽

Groundwater Table ◽

Groundwater Depth ◽

Alkaline Media ◽

Irrigation Canals ◽

The Impact ◽

Density Of Irrigation

The Chaobai River (CBR) basin in northern China is experiencing an unprecedented continuous inflow of external water via the South–North Water Diversion Project, which has channeled water from the southern part of the country to the north. Consequently, the steady rise of groundwater table in recent years is threatening soil salinity regulation. The purpose of this study was to describe the status of salinity of the surface soil in the CBR basin and to evaluate the impact of environmental factors including groundwater table on the spatial distribution of soil salinity using multivariate analysis (MVA) technique. In this study, 10 chemical variables of soil samples collected in 204 sites along CBR were analyzed, considering their interaction with three environmental factors: the density of irrigation canals, groundwater depth and topography. Statistical analysis mainly consisted of principal component analysis (PCA), redundancy analysis (RDA) and clustering analysis (CA). The results allow defining the surface soil in the CBR basin as a slightly saline and moderately alkaline media. The first two axes of multivariate model approximately explains 51% of the observed variability and allows distinguishing two main domains: the saline and the alkaline. The variability of the saline domain, defined by major cations and anions, is obviously controlled by macro environmental factors, of which the density of irrigation canals and groundwater depth contributes 71% and 28%, respectively, while that of the alkaline domain, related to pH and bicarbonate, mainly manifests as singular behaviors of soil groups like rice cultivation or sewage irrigation. The results suggests that more attention should be paid to the ongoing water table rise to help inform future land management decisions and to prevent a double threat of both groundwater and surface water on soil salinization. Meanwhile, this study shows the enormous potential of MVA technique, specifically the complementary duo of RDA and CA, for integrating both global and local information of soil salinity and environmental factors.

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