A geospatial model for allocating potential urban–industrial zones in a desert: Case study Matrouh, Egypt

Abstract

Planning for new urban–industrial communities in deserts is a main objective of the Egyptian government. Allocation of such communities should comply with both environmental protection and sustainable consumption of resources. The current study explores such approach, through mapping potential zones for new urban–industrial communities in Matrouh Governorate, Western Desert, Egypt. A spatial multidisciplinary approach has been adopted to facilitate zoning based on satellite data, spatial decision support systems and a geospatial model. Landsat 8, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in addition to several thematic maps were input for the geospatial model. Three sub-models were created for three themes (visions), two of which were created using spatial multicriteria analysis (land resources and infrastructures), and the third sub-model, namely environmental protection, was created using a binary model. The analytical hierarchy process method was applied to assign relative weights for the resources theme, while the rank-sum method was used for the infrastructure theme. The three sub-models were aggregated to produce the suitability index for three zoning visions. Such index was classified and the highest three suitability values in each suitability index were extracted being the most optimum zones. Such zones are found in the northeastern part of the study area. The most optimum zones amounted to 23,863 km2, 47,707 km2 and 25,474 km2; equivalent to 14.8%, 29.7% and 15.9% for the first, second and third visions, respectively. The resultant maps can be used in site selection, allocation, decisions and for planning new urban communities.