Modeling the Environmental Hazards of El-Kharga Oasis Sand Dunes, Western Desert of Egypt, using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

In this study, an integrated suite of Remote Sensing (RS) data and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques supported by fieldwork is used to assess the sand dunes movement hazards at El-Kharga Oasis. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data obtained from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection (ASTER) were integrated with GIS techniques to model the vulnerable locations and to study the terrain characteristics (slope angles and aspects) in the studied area. The risk assessment model output was verified with the field investigations using multi-temporal satellite images recorded between 1990 and 2019. Monthly wind roses showed that the sand drifts in the southeastern direction differed widely from one direction to another depending on the wind direction and velocity. The most important output of the spatial model’s, results was a geo-hazard map that classified the sand dunes hazard zones into low, slight, moderate, and high-risk zones. It is concluded that, the sand dunes pose a serious hazard because of their fast movement and accumulation near the monumental sites, over roads and invading the agricultural fields. The obtained results can serve as a basis for planners and decision-makers to take the necessary precautions and measures to minimize the sand dune hazard’s impact on the monumental sites (e.g., Hibis, El-Nadura, El-Ghueita and El-Zayyan), roads, and the agricultural fields at El-Kharga Oasis and lead to a sustainable development plan. Keywords Environmental Hazards; Sand Dunes Movement; Remote Sensing; Risk Assessment, Egypt

Correlation of pH on Soil Physicochemical Properties using Linear Regression Model for Spectral Data Analysis

Soil properties may be varied by spatially and temporally with different agricultural practices. An accurate and reliable soil properties assessment is challenging issue in soil analysis. The soil properties assessment is very important for understanding the soil properties, nutrient management, influence of fertilizers and relation between soil properties which are affecting the plant growth. Conventional laboratory methods used to analyses soil properties are generally impractical because they are time-consuming, expensive and sometimes imprecise. On other hand, Visible and infrared spectroscopy can effectively characterize soil. Spectroscopic measurements are rapid, precise and inexpensive. Soil spectroscopy has shown to be a fast, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, non-destructive, reproducible and repeatable analytical technique. In the present research, we use spectroscopy techniques for soil properties analysis. The spectra of agglomerated farming soils were acquired by the ASD Field spec 4 spectroradiometer. Different fertilizers treatment applied soil samples are collected in pre monsoon and post monsoon season for 2 year (4 season) for banana and cotton crops in the form of DS-I and DS-II respectively. The soil spectra of VNIR region were preprocessed to get pure spectra. Then process the acquired spectral data by statistical methods for quantitative analysis of soil properties. The detected soil properties were carbon, Nitrogen, soil organic matter, pH, phosphorus, potassium, moisture sand, silt and clay. Soil pH is most important chemical properties that describe the relative acidity or alkalinity of the soil. It directly effect on plant growth and other soil properties. The relationship between pH properties on soil physical and chemical parameters and their influence were analyses by using linear regression model and show the performance of regression model with R2 and RMSE. Keywords soil; physicochemical properties; spectroscopy; pH

Study of Digital Surface Data for Soils and Flood Risk Areas Mapping in Sudano-Sahelian Zone (Mayo-Danay Division, Far North Cameroon)

In general, living close to a river is advantage, but there is always of flooding risk, that recurrence in recent decades provokes serious material damage and loss of life. Thus, in order to protect environmental health, economic viability and human activity zones of Mayo-Danay, a careful study of components of natural environment, mainly soil, has proved essential. Clearly, use of GIS in management of natural disasters is most relevant method, designed on integration, Multicriteria Analysis (MCA) and spatial data. Thus, Digital Elevation Model is obtained by manual digitization of contour lines, in order to define the large pedological sets on which wells have been opened, profiles described, soil samples taken and analyzed in laboratory. Main results reveal that soils are sandy to clayey, with neutral and basic pH (7 to 8), high CEC and low organic matter. While, quartz is predominant, associated with smectites, illites, feldspars and iron oxyhydroxides. Updated soil map shows five soil units (1) vertisols with hydromorphic characters (26%), (2) tropical ferruginous soils (32%), (3) less evolved hydromorphic soils (15%), (4) halomorphic vertic soils (9%), and (5) hydromorphic vertic soils (18%). It is an excellent tool for work and research, that responds to agronomic and development problems. It is therefore an excellent tool for work and research, which responds to agronomic and development problems. The multi-criteria spatial analysis establishes hazard and vulnerability, crossing of which gives of flood risk areas map, according to hazard level, very high (12%), high (16%), moderate (14%), low (30%) and very low (28%) risks. For this purpose, it emerges that rainfall is relatively low (700 mm/year), but falls very abruptly during short periods, at high intensity with flows exceeding the infiltration capacities. Morphology of low-slope "yayrés" (280 m) (2‰) is bordered by high landscape (500 to 1400 m) that prevent flow of many rivers that converge into plain. Sandy soils dominated by quartz favor fast rising in water table, while very clayey soils governed by 2/1 clayey (smectites) whose behavior induce waterproofing and intense surface runoff that generate flooding. Evidently, land use change leads to transformation of natural spaces into agricultural and urban environments, which makes soils more compact and impermeable, favorable to flooding. Keywords Soil; Flood risks; Mapping; Mayo-Danay Division; Spatial data DOI: https://doi.org/10.23953/cloud.ijarsg.501

Study of the Accuracy of Sri Lankan Drone Survey Technology for Land Survey on Different Terrain Conditions

With the development of the technology, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are more prominently used in construction field for surveying. Because of low time consume and easy to get data at unreachable places also. At present, large scaling topographic maps are obtaining using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry method, therefore UAV photogrammetry has replacing traditional survey method like total station. But don’t know how much accuracy it has, with comparing traditional survey methods. The accuracy may be consisting on the terrain conditions. So, it is better to check which terrain conditions have more accurate and which terrains are in very low accuracy. And also, accuracy of results may be depending on the accuracy of the topography software. Level terrain, vegetation area, build-up area and slope area were obtained during the research. Selected the Kantale sugar factory area in Sri Lanka, to understand the different terrain conditions. The results showed that the UAV results are more accurate with level terrain conditions and accuracy is low with other terrain conditions. Keywords Drone survey; Topography; UAV; Total station; RTK

A Method of Finding the Best Route and Shortest Route to a Ready Mixed Concrete Plant Through Real Time Tracking System by using GIS and GPS

The delay in transportation of ready mix concrete has become a common issue in civil engineering construction industry which wasted millions of rupees. This report is prepared as a part of the research conducted on developing a GIS based tracking system for truck mixers and a system to find the best route in transporting ready mixed concrete. Furthermore, it focuses on determining (VRP) feature in network analysis extension in ArcGIS. A shape files of road network in Colombo area was created using an open street map. The road network was mapped on the open street map shadflies using polylines. For this research, batching plant established in Colombo 14 and three construction sites in Kollupitiya and union place were considered. Relevant coordinates for both batching plant and the construction sites were imported to the map. Before caring out the final simulation, various constraints were assigned to ready mixed plants as well as for the routes such as one way restrictions etc. The traffic flow of the specific routes has been observed in two time frames such as normal peak hours (07:00 hrs. to 20:00hrs) and off peak hrs (20:00hrs to 7:00hrs). The main objective of this research is to developed an optimum delivery plan for truck mixers by using Arc GIS software and provide a guideline to develop this concept to be used in a much larger scale for beneficial of construction industry Keywords ArcGIS; ready mixed concrete; tracking system; Network planning

GIS Based Tsunami Risk Assessment

Tsunami is a coastal hazard which occur due to undersea earthquakes, Meteorite falls, volcanic eruptions or even nuclear weapon operations. The tsunami hazard which occurred in December 2004 was generated due to an undersea earthquake 400m west of northern Sumatra and it inundated coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. This hazard became one of the worst disasters in the history resulting in over thirty thousand fatalities and over seventy thousand house damage in Sri Lanka. This study is focused towards creation of GIS based Tsunami risk map for Galle city which was badly hit by the 2004 Tsunami. Tsunami vulnerability was assessed using weighted overlay spatial method with input parameters of population density, sex ratio, age ratio, disability ratio and damaged building ratio. Tsunami hazard map was developed based on tsunami inundation map which was published by Coastal research and design, costal conservation and resource management department with assistant from Disaster management centre using the Cornell Multigrid Coupled Tsunami Model (COMCOT). Vulnerable and hazard maps were analysed and incorporated to develop final risk map using GIS tool. Keywords GIS; Tsunami Inundation Map; Tsunami Risk Map; Vulnerability; Disaster

Off-Road Trafficability for Military Operations Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

This study has been carried out in the Pathankot region, having strategic importance in terms of military operations. It explores the ability of remote sensing and GIS in assessing off-road trafficability which is integral part of terrain intelligence. Number of thematic layers has been prepared using Sentinal -2 satellite images and PALSAR Digital Elevation Model (DEM) viz. LULC, Slope, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), Terrain Roughness Index (TRI) and ground conditions to assess the potential of off-road trafficability in the study area for military operations. Results clearly depict that most of the region is suitable for off-road movement. However, north western part is showing less suitability. Keywords PALSAR; Multi-criteria Decision Analysis; AHP; Trafficability

The Development of Village level Geospatial Framework for "Digital India"

The Digital India is a programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Digital land record of villages is one of the important components of information system which plays a vital role in making this type of society Land record system is primarily managed manually in the country using registers and cadastral maps in the form of papers, clothes which are very rough, tempered, torn and in a bad condition. Thus, the record keeping and updation of the village level information is a big challenge. Preserving, updating and retrieving these records needs integration of the information in a single framework. This paper presents the development of village level geospatial framework which highlights the three growth areas among nine pillars of Digital India. It encapsulates the digitization, geodatabase preparation, topology, and geospatial framework development using revenue (Khasara) maps, Google earth imagery data and GIS technology.

Analysis and Prediction of Landslide using Drone Image and GIS Techniques- Case Study Aranayaka Area

Occurrence of Landslides has become a major impact considering the damage a landslide can do in a quick time. Among the natural hazards the country is exposed up to now, severe landslides are the upcoming major issue since it can affect to the lives of people too. In this case study from Aranayaka area, a method is developed to analyses and identify landslide prone areas. The methodology of the research includes collecting terrain data, building a model using geographic information system (GIS), satellite image processing, preparation of a landslide susceptibility potential map and giving recommendations on the landslide hazards. Among the factors that influence a landslide such as drainage, bedrock condition, slope angle range, land forms and etc. (published by National Building Research Organization), the foremost controllable and mostly varying factor. In this research, landslide prone areas are identified using the land use data. Identification of landslide hazards plays an important role in disaster management and risk controlling since a severe landslide can affect several aspects such as human lives, agricultural aspects, economic activities and transportation. This paper includes the background of the entire research that has developed up to current situation. This method can be used around the world as well as in the country.

Development on Water Transport System in Sri Lanka with Available Water Resources

Traffic congestion is an enormous problem at peak hours in western province. Existing transport system is not capable to overcome these complexity situations. Therefore, Srilankan government needs to find out different mode of transport to save time and money and finally economy of the country. In the past history, there was a rich water transportation system over the country. Specially, the western province has a well-distributed network of inland waterways, comprising of main rivers, streams, canals, lakes, and tanks. Most of the time, the existing waterways were used for freight transportation (timber, sand, brick, and tiles. compare to Public transportation. The study is to determine the efficient use of waterways for the public transportation focusing the travel time and fuel consumption. The existing water way network was map and find availability of other network connectivity using ArcGIS and Google Earth Pro software. Then compare it with an existing public transportation mode (bus) and checked the suitability of usage of water transportation as an alternative to reduce the existing traffic congestion problem. And proposed water way transport system, that capable of potential and strategic way to reduce the traffic congestion problem in Colombo and its sub urban areas.