Assessments of Environmental Sensitivity to Desertification in Ber El-Abd area, North Sinai, Egypt Using MEDALUS Model

Abstract

North Sinai, desertification risk is one of the main environmental and also social and economic problems. This study aims to use geospatial information to assess the environmental sensitivity for desertification in Ber El-Abd area, North Sinai, Egypt. Based on the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) approach and the characteristics of the study area. This model could provide a valuable quantitative assessment of environmental sensitivity to desertification. It also could support decision makers with important information that could help in protecting and sustaining natural resources. Five main indicators of desertification including soil (soil depth, soil texture, electrical conductivity, rock fragments, drainage, calcium carbonate), climate (rainfall, evapotranspiration, aridity index), vegetation (erosion protection, drought resistance, plant cover), erosion (wind erosion, water erosion) and management (land use, grazing intensity, policy and management) were considered for estimating the environmental sensitivity to desertification. Arc-GIS 10.4.1 and ENVI 5.4 Softwares were used for assessing the desertification sensitive index, of which the map of environmentally areas of the north Sinai Peninsula is produced. The obtained data reveals that 47.9%of north Sinai is characterized by very sensitive areas to desertification, sensitive areas about 1.1%, while the low sensitive areas only 6%. The moderately sensitive areas occupies approximately 4.8% of the study area.