scholarly journals Quantification of Recharge and Runoff from Rainfall Using New GIS Tool: Example of the Gaza Strip Aquifer

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf M. Mushtaha ◽  
Marc Van Camp ◽  
Kristine Walraevens
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Sand Dune ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Curve Number ◽  
The North ◽  
Thiessen Polygon ◽  
The Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip forms a transition zone between the semi-humid coastal zone in the north, the semi-arid zone in the east, and the Sinai desert in the south. Groundwater is the only water source for 1.94 million inhabitants, where the only fresh replenishment water for the aquifer comes from rainfall. This study focuses on testing a newly developed GIS tool to estimate the spatial and temporal distribution of runoff and recharge from rainfall. The estimation of surface runoff was made using the Soil Conservation Services Curve Number Method, while groundwater recharge was estimated using Thornthwaite and Mather’s Soil Moisture Balance approach. The new tool was applied to the Gaza aquifer for the year 1935 and for the period from 1973 to 2016. A comparison was made between the results obtained with the developed GIS tool and the frequently used Thiessen polygon method for rainfall distribution. Runoff and recharge were estimated for the year 1935 (prior to development) to compare with the current developed conditions. It was found that the built-up and sand dune areas stand in an inverse relationship, where the former is replacing the latter (built-up area expanded from 30.1 km2 in 1982 to 92.1 km2 in 2010). Recharge takes place in the sand dune area, whereas runoff increases in the built-up area. Due to development, runoff almost tripled from 9 million m3 in 1982 to 22.9 million m3 in 2010, while groundwater recharge was reduced from 27.3 million m3 in 1982 to 23 million m3 in 2010, even though the rainfall increased between 1982 and 2010 by 11%. Comparison between the newly developed GIS tool and the Thiessen polygon-based estimation shows that the former leads to higher values of runoff and recharge for dry years.

إدارة الطوارئ في محطات معالجة مياه الصرف الصحي حالة دراسة: محطة الشمال في بيت لاهيا

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-76
Author(s):  
Alaa Mahmoud Msalam ◽  
Nizam M. El-Ashgar ◽  
Mohamad Ramadan Alagha
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
The North ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Gaza Strip

The aim of this study is to identify the potential risks to the North Station (Beit Lahiya Station and the North Emergency Station), and to prepare emergency response procedures in the sewage treatment plant in Northern Gaza. The researchers followed the descriptive and analytical approach of the sources and reports issued by the institutions related to the sewage stations in the Gaza Strip. The study also included interviews with engineers at the station to analyze and assess the risks to the North station, to identify indicators to prevent flooding of Umm al-Nasr village, and to identify preventive measures to avoid disasters. The study also recommended the necessity of finishing the development of the North Emergency Station Project to accommodate the cumulative increase in the amount of treated water, as well as work on the preparation of contingency plans to deal with the expected risks and the preparation of preparedness and response procedures for each risk.

scholarly journals Quantification of Submarine Groundwater Discharge in the Gaza Strip

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Mushtaha ◽  
Kristine Walraevens
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Seawater Intrusion ◽  
Submarine Groundwater Discharge ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Groundwater Discharge ◽  
Unconfined Aquifer ◽  
The North ◽  
Submarine Groundwater ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Gaza Strip

Gaza Strip has suffered from seawater intrusion during the past three decades due to low rainfall and high abstraction from the groundwater resource. On a yearly basis, more than 170 million m3 of groundwater is abstracted, while the long-term average recharge from rainfall is 24.4 million m3/year. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has never been studied in the Gaza Strip, due to lack of experience in this field, next to the ignorance of this subject due to the seawater intrusion process taking place. Continuous radon measurements were carried out in six sites along the Gaza Strip to quantify the SGD rate. The final result shows SGD to occur in all sampled sites. The range of SGD rates varies from 0.9 to 5.9 cm·day−1. High values of SGD are found in the south (Rafah and Khan Younis governorates). The high values are probably related to the shallow unconfined aquifer, while the lowest values of SGD are found in the middle of Gaza Strip, and they are probably related to the Sabkha formation. In the north of Gaza Strip, SGD values are in the range of 1.0 to 2.0 cm·day−1. Considering that SGD would occur with the measured rates in a strip of 100 m wide along the whole coast line, the results in a quantity of 38 million m3 of groundwater being discharged yearly to the Mediterranean Sea along Gaza coast. Nutrient samples were taken along Gaza Strip coastline, and they were compared to the onshore wells, 600 m away from the Mediterranean Sea. The results show that SGD has higher NO3− + NO2− than nutrient-poor seawater, and that it is close to the onshore results from the wells. This confirms that the source of SGD is groundwater, and not shallow seawater circulation. In a coastal strip of 100 m wide along the Gaza coast, a yearly discharge of over 400 tons of nitrate and 250 tons of ammonium occurs from groundwater to the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals Stochastic time-series models for drought assessment in the Gaza Strip (Palestine)

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (S1) ◽  
pp. 85-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Al-Najjar ◽  
Gokmen Ceribasi ◽  
Emrah Dogan ◽  
Mazen Abualtayef ◽  
Khalid Qahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Drought Assessment ◽  
The North ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
The Gaza Strip ◽  
Stochastic Time Series

Abstract The Eastern Mediterranean region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is experiencing patterns of major drought due to the effects of rising temperatures and falling precipitation levels. The multiscale drought evaluation Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) reveals evolving and severe drought from North Africa and the Sinai desert toward the Middle East. While there has been a period without drought between 1970 and 1990, the severity and frequency of drought increased considerably after 1990. Current drought conditions in the Eastern Mediterranean region of MENA are moderate to severe with a 60–100% likelihood of occurrence, according to time parameters. The Gaza Strip is especially vulnerable to the consequences of increasing drought because it is situated in the vicinity of the Sinai Desert; therefore, a downscaled study of drought in the region is essential to implement mitigation measures for the sustainable management and planning of coastal aquifer and agricultural activities in the Gaza Strip. Considerable availability of precipitation time series from various meteorological stations helped provide a local drought study for the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The stochastic time-series model of (4,0,1) (5,1,1)12 shows a robust simulator for modeling and forecasting the future trend of precipitation at the nine meteorological stations. In terms of correlation accuracy, the model achieves a correlation (r) of approximately 93–97% in the calibration range and a correlation (r) of about 92–99% in the validation range. In terms of measuring the difference between the values, the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the model results shows that the RMSE was between 7–21 in the calibration range and 11–21 in the validation range. The model reveals a slightly stable trend in precipitation patterns at the northern meteorological stations of Beit Hanon, Beit Lahia, Shati, and Remal. However, declining precipitation tendency was recorded at the southern meteorological stations of Mughraka, Nussirat, Beir Al-Balah, Khanyounis, and Rafah. The SPI-based drought assessment implies that the precipitation annual threshold levels at SPI = 0 drop territorially from 474 mm in the north to about 250 mm in the south of the Gaza Strip. In this study, a representative 12-month local scale SPI12 at an annual precipitation threshold level of 370 mm was formulated to address the drought conditions in the Gaza Strip. Standing on the outputs of the local SPI12 scale might signify that the region of the Gaza Strip risks drought status with an incidence likelihood varying from 8% in the north to 100% in the south. Regular drought is prevalent in the northern governorates, but the hazards of extreme and severe drought are high in the southern areas with an incidence risk of about 83%. Sequentially, southern governorates of Rafah and Khanyounis experience chronic annual drought, while the return period of drought is reported to be every 9–12 years in the northern governorates of the Gaza Strip. The rain-fed years of 1998 and 2010 reported the worst periods of drought, while the period of 2016 showed a good droughtless water balance. Overall, the no-drought status might define the prospective conditions in the governorates of North Gaza, Gaza, and central Gaza over the next 20 years, while Rafah and Khanyounis are anticipated to be under normal to severe drought conditions.

إدارة الطوارئ في محطات معالجة مياه الصرف الصحي حالة دراسة: محطة الشمال في بيت لاهيا

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-76
Author(s):  
Alaa Mahmoud Msalam ◽  
Nizam M. El-Ashgar ◽  
Mohamad Ramadan Alagha
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
The North ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Gaza Strip

The aim of this study is to identify the potential risks to the North Station (Beit Lahiya Station and the North Emergency Station), and to prepare emergency response procedures in the sewage treatment plant in Northern Gaza. The researchers followed the descriptive and analytical approach of the sources and reports issued by the institutions related to the sewage stations in the Gaza Strip. The study also included interviews with engineers at the station to analyze and assess the risks to the North station, to identify indicators to prevent flooding of Umm al-Nasr village, and to identify preventive measures to avoid disasters. The study also recommended the necessity of finishing the development of the North Emergency Station Project to accommodate the cumulative increase in the amount of treated water, as well as work on the preparation of contingency plans to deal with the expected risks and the preparation of preparedness and response procedures for each risk.

scholarly journals Sewage Waste and Treatment Plants Case Study: Beit Lahia Plant-North Gaza Strip: مخلفات الصرف الصحي ومحطات معالجتها حالة دراسة: محطة بيت لاهيا – شمال قطاع غزة

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Al-Ashqar- Alaa Mahmoud Muslim- Khaldoon Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Emergency Plan ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water ◽  
The Gaza Strip ◽  
Treatment And Disposal

The study aims to identify the importance of wastewater treatment on the surrounding environment. The case study was the North Plant in the village of Umm Al-Nasr (Gaza Strip). The study aims also to identify the plant role in the wastewater treatment sector in the governorate of North Gaza Strip, identify the difficulties and risks facing the work of the plant and also determine the planning requirements for emergency response at the North Water Treatment Plant. The researchers suggested response procedures in case of emergency events of the sewage system in Northern Gaza Strip. The researchers followed the descriptive analytical approach of the information sources and reports issued by the institutions related to the sewage stations in the Gaza Strip. The study also included field visits to the North Plant and employee interviews to study the stages of treatment and disposal methods of sludge. The study recommended the need to work on the development of the emergency of North Plant Project in order to accommodate the increase in the quantities of treated water, as well as working on an emergency plan to deal with potential hazards in addition preparedness and response procedures for each expected case.

scholarly journals Radiological hazard assessments of radionuclides in building materials, soils and sands from the Gaza Strip and the north of Sinai Peninsula

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona M. Abd Elkader ◽  
Taeko Shinonaga ◽  
Mohamed M. Sherif
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽  
Radiological Hazard ◽  
Sinai Peninsula ◽  
Anthropogenic Radionuclides ◽  
The North ◽  
Activity Concentrations ◽  
The Gaza Strip

AbstractRadiological hazards to the residents of the Gaza Strip, Palestine and the north of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, were determined using the naturally occurring radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in 69 samples of building materials (demolition debris, plasters, concretes, from recycling plants and raw cements from suppliers), soils and sands collected in the field. The radiological hazard indices and dose rates calculated with the activity concentrations of radionuclides in those materials determined by gamma-ray spectrometry indicate that the values are all within the global limits recommended by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000 and European Commission 1999. The results of Spearman's correlation and hierarchical cluster analysis for 210Pb in the building materials, soils and sands suggest that the samples include 210Pb from the atmospheric fallout. The medium correlation between 232Th and 40K in demolition debris implies that their activity concentrations are characteristic of the building materials and constituents of the demolition debris. Non-natural ratio of 238U/235U was found in the soil and sand samples collected in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, 137Cs and 241Am were detected in some soil, sand and demolition debris samples analyzed in this study. The origins of those anthropogenic radionuclides were considered.

Egypt

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Schneider ◽  
Vanessa Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Suez Canal ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Annual Rate ◽  
Nile River ◽  
The North ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Gaza Strip ◽  
Egyptian Government

Found in the north-eastern corner of Africa and south-western Asia, Egypt shares borders with the Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya, and Sudan. With a population of more than 95.6 million in 2016, it is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The population is expected to grow at an annual rate of nearly 2 per cent and will surpass 100 million by 2025. More than 97 per cent of the population lives on both sides of the Nile River and the Delta, with smaller numbers along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts. This is due to the geography of Egypt, where 95 per cent of the land is uninhabitable desert. The capital city is Cairo, a megalopolis of nearly 20 million inhabitants. The Egyptian government has started building a new administrative capital (NAC) between the Nile River and the Suez Canal, east of Cairo. The NAC is one of the biggest planned cities ever and aims to be Egypt’s new capital.

scholarly journals A joint power and desalination plant for Sinai and the Gaza Strip

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 586-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raed Bashitialshaaer ◽  
Kenneth M. Persson
Keyword(s):  
Role Model ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Joint Power ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Desalination Plant ◽  
The North ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Gaza Strip

Desalination can be a cost-effective way to produce fresh water and possibly electricity. The Gaza Strip has had a complex hydro-political situation for many years. Gaza is bordered by the Mediterranean sea in the west, by Israel to the north and east and by Egypt in the south. Water and electricity consumption in the Gaza Strip is expected to increase in the future due to the increasing population. In this paper, a solution for Sinai and the Gaza Strip is suggested involving the building of a joint power and desalination plant, located in Egypt close to the border with Gaza. The suggested joint project would increase drinking water supply by 500,000 m3/d and the power supply by 500 MW, of which two thirds is suggested to be used in Gaza and one third in Sinai. The present lack of electricity and water in Gaza could be erased by such a project. But Egypt will probably gain more: more water and electricity for the future development of Sinai and Gaza; a significant value will be added to the sale of Egyptian natural gas; more employment opportunities for Sinai people; the domestic market for operation and maintenance of desalination plants can be boosted by the suggested project; Egypt may naturally and peacefully increase its cooperation with and presence in Gaza, which should lead to increased security. This type of project could also get international support and can be a role-model for cooperation and trust-building between neighbours.

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