Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Coastal flooding of Nile Delta, Egypt

Authors

  • I. A. Elshinnawy  Coastal Research Institute, National Water Research Center, Alexandria, Egypt
  • Issam Edin Foad  Department of Construction & Utilities Engineering , Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
  • I. M. Salama  Department of Civil Engineering, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
  • Usama H. Issa  Department of Civil Engineering, Taif Universiry, Taif, KSA

Keywords:

Impacts, Sea Level Rise, Nile Delta, Costal Zones, Coastal Flooding

Abstract

Many studies have investigated impacts of Sea Level Rise (SLR) on Nile Delta coastal zones in ‎Egypt. Previous studies depended on areal surveying maps to develop digital elevation model ‎‎(DEM) for Nile Delta coastal zones. Lacking field measurements and data to develop DEM that ‎presents the actual situation of Nile Delta coastal zones, previous studies concluded that 20-30% ‎of Nile Delta area will be inundated and lost if sea level rises by one meter. Accordingly, the ‎current study aims to assess impacts of SLR on coastal inundation by utilizing field measurements ‎of tide gages and land surveying data of 200 hydrographic profile across the coast line of Nile ‎Delta. ‎ To achieve study objective, DEM maps through GIS process were developed by Coastal Research ‎Institute (CoRI). After developing the DEM maps, two modules with three scenarios (CoRI, B1, ‎and A1F1) were introduced in each module to assess SLR expected and its impacts on Nile Delta ‎coastal zones. The two modules initiated are business as usual module (module 1) and actual ‎situation module (module 2). ‎ Results indicate that for the first module (business as usual module), vulnerable areas to coastal ‎flooding represent about 3.33%, 4.25%, and 11.75% of the total area of the Nile Delta for CoRI, ‎B1, A1F1 scenarios respectively. On the other hand, considering the natural and man-made ‎protection systems (module 2), vulnerable areas have percentages of 0.74, 0.97, and 3.01 of Nile ‎Delta area for CoRI, B1, and A1F1 scenarios respectively. This means that less than 1.0% of the ‎Nile Delta area will suffer from coastal flooding resulted from SLR expected by the end of the ‎current century by CoRI and B1 scenarios and about 3% by A1F1 scenario by. ‎ The study recommends further detailed studies to quantify impacts of SLR on coastal physical ‎systems, infrastructure, saltwater intrusion, water resources, wave climate and water current ‎patterns, erosion/accretion patterns and socio-economic sectors.‎

References

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International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology

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Published

2017-04-30

Issue

Volume 3, Issue 2, March-April-2017

Section

Research Articles

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How to Cite

[1]
I. A. Elshinnawy, Issam Edin Foad, I. M. Salama, Usama H. Issa, " Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Coastal flooding of Nile Delta, Egypt, International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology(IJSRSET), Print ISSN : 2395-1990, Online ISSN : 2394-4099, Volume 3, Issue 2, pp.71-77, March-April-2017.