Alsharifa Hind Mohammad - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alsharifa Hind Mohammad

Research paper thumbnail of Surface water catchment deformation—toward a conceptual model: the case study of Zarqa river catchment, Jordan

Environmental earth sciences, Apr 24, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Nutrient Distribution in New Zealand Rivers Using Satellite Images

Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2019

The importance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and water parameters for the struc... more The importance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and water parameters for the structure and function of rivers and lake ecosystems has led to the development of a way to estimate the amount of CDOM, TP (total phosphorus) and TN (total nitrogen) in rivers and lakes over large geographic areas. Operational Land Imager (OLI) images have been obtained of the North and South Islands of New Zealand for the March 2014 and 2015, with in-situ measurements of bio-optical properties and the water parameters of 18 stations. Satellite images of the date closest to the water sampling were used to statistically correlate the in-situ measurements with various combinations of Landsat 8 bands in order to develop algorithms that best describe those relationships and calculate accurately the aforementioned water quality components. Optimal models were selected based on statistical criteria and indices; finally, the predictive models of CDOM, TP and TN concentrations involving the combination of ultra-blue (B1), blue (B2) and green (B3) OLI bands of Landsat 8 satellite sensor were achieved. As a result of the validation process, CDOM absorption at 420 nm (R = 0.35), TP (R = 0.57) and TN (R = 0.71) concentrations were shown to be the most accurately estimated components, respectively.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the groundwater vulnerability in the upper aquifers of Zarqa River Basin, Jordan using DRASTIC, SINTACS and GOD methods

International journal of water resources and environmental engineering, Feb 28, 2017

Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutant... more Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutants to penetrate the aquifer and harming it. This method helps decision makers by highlighting expected areas to be polluted. In Jordan, groundwater is the main water resource the country uses to match its demand. The groundwater basins in Jordan are divided into 12 major basins; some are rechargeable and others are fossil. Many basins are over exploited; Amman Zarqa basin is a clear example for this case. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced for study area using SINTACS, GOD and DRASTIC indices to study the vulnerability of the aquifers throughout the targeted area. The different resulted maps show different vulnerability classes ranging from low to high reflecting the environmental, hydrological and hydrogeological settings of the groundwater and its recharge ability. The resulted map shows wide variation in groundwater vulnerability in different sites within the targeted area. Within the basin, areas with higher vulnerability are those with friable aquifer materials and shallow groundwater depths. Medium and low vulnerability classes exist too because of the variations of the environmental settings within the targeted areas.

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainable Water Management for Azraq Geopark: Enhancing Environmental Sustainability and Geotourism

International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics

Research paper thumbnail of Hydro-Geoheritage and Paleo-Cultural Footprints Associated with the Socio-Economic Coherence for a Potential Jericho Geopark

Geoheritage, Jul 21, 2023

The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its ge... more The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its geologically complex springs and karst wadi cliffs, as well as its manmade components of ancient aqueducts and dams, and integration of this ancient infrastructure into modern water management systems. The quality and quantity of spring water and the surrounding karstic geology in the area have impacted the lives of the areas' inhabitants from past to present. The cultural and socioeconomic significance of ancient water systems within the potential Jericho Geopark were studied according to their printed history and modern reflections in water management infrastructure, traditions, and values. The paper emphasizes the interlinkage with community and Palestinian identity that is affected by the hydro-Geoheritage of local springs. Spring water management and traditional water laws imprinted in the past continue into the present day. The relationship between water management and modern-day water traditions around the Jericho Geopark springs speak to the interconnectedness of Palestinian identity and the hydrogeological elements of the potential Jericho Geopark.

Research paper thumbnail of GIS-based analytical analysis for selecting potential runoff harvesting sites: the case study of Amman-Zarqa Basin

Sustainable Water Resources Management, Jun 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Fellowship of the Spring: An initiative to document and protect the world's oases

Science of The Total Environment, Aug 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of ex-situ oil shale mining on groundwater resources in Siwaqa area, southern Jordan, using DRASTIC index and hydrochemical water assessment

Earth Sciences Research Journal, Apr 30, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Changes in Total Dissolved Solids Concentration during Infiltration through Soils (Rain, Fresh Groundwater and Treated Wastewater)

Journal of Environmental Protection, 2017

Water quality deterioration took place during infiltration process. Quality of the source water, ... more Water quality deterioration took place during infiltration process. Quality of the source water, climate conditions and amounts of added water are the major role players of the differentiation measures. Treated wastewater, rainwater and fresh groundwater were described within this study. It was found that the rainwater has an aggressive behavior with a high ability to dissolve soil salts. The amounts of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) increase with infiltration process. Electrical conductivity (EC) increased by 600%. Plotting the fresh groundwater to the same conditions and experiment reflects the ability of this water to dissolve soil salts and increases the TDS by increasing the EC by a percentage of around 200%; while applying lower quality of water, the percentage of the EC of the treated wastewater increases to about 230% for the depth of 20 cm, which indicates the accumulation of the salts within this part of the soil, which leads to the deterioration of the soil quality, and decreases to about 160% for a depth of 60 cm. This differentiation could be a result of low permeability soils which tend to accumulate salts as a result of evaporation and then increase the salinity in the topsoil. Dissolution and plant uptake in the infiltrated take of minerals save the soil's water from evaporation and do not allow salts to concentrate in soils. Moreover, plant uptake of soil water chemicals causes a decrease in some salt concentrations such as NO 3 , PO 4 , K, Na, and Cl and may conserve others.

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding the impact of droughts in the Yarmouk Basin, Jordan: monitoring droughts through meteorological and hydrological drought indices

Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Mar 1, 2018

This article assesses drought status in the Yarmouk Basin (YB), in northern Jordan, using the Sta... more This article assesses drought status in the Yarmouk Basin (YB), in northern Jordan, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the Standardized Water-Level Index (SWI), and the Percent Departure from Normal rainfall (PDNimd) during the years 1993-2014. The results showed that the YB suffers from frequent and irregular periods of drought as variations in drought intensity and frequency have been observed. The SPI results revealed that the highest drought magnitude of − 2.34 appeared at Nuaimeh rainfall station in 1991. This station has also experienced severe drought particularly in

Research paper thumbnail of Wise Water Resources Management under the Increasing Number of Refugees in the Third Poorest Water Resources Country (Jordan) – A Suggested Future Spatial Plan for Water Resources Investments

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, Mar 1, 2020

Jordan is the 3rd poorest country in water resources worldwide. It is mostly arid land with limit... more Jordan is the 3rd poorest country in water resources worldwide. It is mostly arid land with limited water resources. It has a high population growth rate and recently receives increasable number of Syrian refugees. Therefore, a wise management of water resources have a great importance in order to keep a life for the people. However, water resources in Jordan are mainly from the groundwater of unconfined limestone aquifer and confined sandstone. The groundwater levels of these two aquifers are rapidly decreasing as results of groundwater over pumping. The groundwater over pumping causes groundwater quality deterioration. Therefore, it is not only the water quantity issues that is facing the country but also the water quality problem. However, Jordan is trying to address the challenge of limited water resources and groundwater over pumping according to several water resources developments projects such as dams, water harvesting, desalination and cloud seeding. This paper suggests an optimized spatial plan for these projects according to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in order to increase its efficiency.

Research paper thumbnail of Groundwater Vulnerability for the Surface Outcropping Aquifers in Jordan

Journal of Environmental Protection, 2015

Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutant... more Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutants to penetrate to the target aquifer and to harm it. This method helps decision makers by shedding light on pollution areas expected to pollute groundwater aquifers as caused by human activities on the ground surface. In Jordan, groundwater is the main water resource the country uses to match its demand. The groundwater basins in Jordan are divided into 12 major basins. Some basins are rechargeable and other basins are fossil. Many basins are over exploited. Amman Zarqa basin is a clear example for this case. Others are saline just like Azraq basin and the rest is expected to be affected by the growing demand for agricultural, municipal and industrial activities. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced for Jordan using DRASTIC index to study the vulnerability of the shallow aquifers throughout the country. The map shows different vulnerability classes ranging from low to very high reflecting the environmental, hydrological and hydrogeological settings of the groundwater and its recharge ability. The resulted map shows wide variation in groundwater vulnerability in different sites in Jordan. Areas with higher vulnerability are those with friable aquifer materials and shallow groundwater depths. Medium and low vulnerability classes are exist too because of the variations of the environmental settings within the targeted areas.

Research paper thumbnail of Global Environmental Issues

Research paper thumbnail of The Geodiversity of Springs in the Potential Jericho Geopark/Palestine

Resources, Nov 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS Technology for detecting Erosion and Accretion of Sandwip Island, Bangladesh

TIJ's Research Journal of Science & IT Management - RJSITM, Dec 30, 2014

Natural resources of off shore island of Bay of Bengal (BoB) have been used for multiple purposes... more Natural resources of off shore island of Bay of Bengal (BoB) have been used for multiple purposes and have strongly influenced socioeconomic development. Conventional methods of collecting information about coastal area are relatively costly, time consuming and inaccurate. On the other hand Remote Sensing (RS) observation with its unique capability provides cost-effective support in compiling the latest information about the environment of coastal area, while Geographic Information System (GIS) facilitates uses for multidisciplinary analysis and decision support. Integrated analysis of RS and GIS can gives a vital input for better planning for exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of resources. In this study Sandwip Island of the BoB has been selected as study area. Landsat MSS (80 m) data of 1973, Landsat TM (30 m) data of 1989 and 2010 were used to generate digital data base of different time period, analysis of erosion and accretion and finally produced digital map of Sandwip island of Bangladesh in different time period. For land water layer generation, near-infrared band of (0.76 to 0.90 μm) has been used to develop an algorithm. In this study DN values of water in band 4 of Landsat-TM have been collected carefully from the histogram of the selected images and applied in the developed algorithm. Erosion and accretion map has been produced using raster base GIS and ArcGIS analysis. The study reveals that about 7068 ha area has been disappeared in the sea during 37 year (1973-2010) of which during 1973 to 1989 the rate of erosion per year was about 316 ha but during 1989 to 2010 it was reduced to 24 ha only.

Research paper thumbnail of New Groundwater Vulnerability Index for the Main Aquifers in Central Catchment Area in Jordan and Validation of the Results Using NO 3 Concentrations Maps

World environment, 2014

The main issue which faced and is still facing Jordan during the last decades is the urgent need ... more The main issue which faced and is still facing Jordan during the last decades is the urgent need to protect the groundwater resources in quality and quantity. Vulnerability studies represent the most important protection actions to sustain these resources for present and future generations. This work dealt with the vulnerability of the water resources of Wadi Kafrain catchment area and its surroundings. The concept of groundwater vulnerability can hereby defined as the ability of groundwater to be polluted. Wadi Kafrain basin represents one of the drainage systems from which drain high lands region around Amman westward down to the Jordan Valley. The basin land is built up of a series of aquifers and aquitards. A new vulnerability index was built up to better suit the area with dry to semi dry climate. This index shows wide variation in the vulnerability classes. Validation by NO 3 concentration mapping was done for the aquifers and it was found that all the vulnerability indices fit the validation map which reflects the accuracy of the work. The area is divided into zones according to the vulnerability rates to help as an efficient tool in planning and decision-making processes to protect water quality for use by present and future generations. The result shows that the groundwater in the present aquifers are with very low, low, moderate, high and very high vulnerability rates the higher rates are posited in the areas with shallow water table, presence of structures and lineaments, permeable vadose zone and high recharge areas.

Research paper thumbnail of Global Environmental Issues

Research paper thumbnail of Global Environmental Issues

Handbook of Environmental Materials Management, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Quantity not quality: promoting sustainable wastewater practices in Jordan

Jordan, the second most water-scarce country in the world, is gradually increasing its reliance o... more Jordan, the second most water-scarce country in the world, is gradually increasing its reliance on treated wastewater for its water supply; more than 90% of treated wastewater is used either in agricultural or industrial activities in Jordan. However, in Jordan, all treated wastewater plants are constructed upstream of dams, the latter being used to store treated wastewater. Most dams in the country were originally constructed to collect freshwater through rainfalls. Mixing this source of freshwater with treated wastewater decreases the dams' water quality. This study examines the effects of mixing freshwater with treated wastewater in dams by comparing water samples from the outflows of selected wastewater treatment plants and different dams with historical hydrochemical data of dam water before the diversion of treated wastewater. This study finds that the quality of dam water, in which freshwater has been mixed with treated wastewater, notably decreases. Hence, this study formulates policy recommendations on how to ensure a sustainable water supply that ensures the quality necessary to different water uses, making the suggestion of a separate storage system in dams.

Research paper thumbnail of Hydro-Geoheritage and Paleo-Cultural Footprints Associated with the Socio-Economic Coherence for a Potential Jericho Geopark

Geoheritage

The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its ge... more The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its geologically complex springs and karst wadi cliffs, as well as its manmade components of ancient aqueducts and dams, and integration of this ancient infrastructure into modern water management systems. The quality and quantity of spring water and the surrounding karstic geology in the area have impacted the lives of the areas' inhabitants from past to present. The cultural and socioeconomic significance of ancient water systems within the potential Jericho Geopark were studied according to their printed history and modern reflections in water management infrastructure, traditions, and values. The paper emphasizes the interlinkage with community and Palestinian identity that is affected by the hydro-Geoheritage of local springs. Spring water management and traditional water laws imprinted in the past continue into the present day. The relationship between water management and modern-day water traditions around the Jericho Geopark springs speak to the interconnectedness of Palestinian identity and the hydrogeological elements of the potential Jericho Geopark.

Research paper thumbnail of Surface water catchment deformation—toward a conceptual model: the case study of Zarqa river catchment, Jordan

Environmental earth sciences, Apr 24, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Nutrient Distribution in New Zealand Rivers Using Satellite Images

Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2019

The importance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and water parameters for the struc... more The importance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and water parameters for the structure and function of rivers and lake ecosystems has led to the development of a way to estimate the amount of CDOM, TP (total phosphorus) and TN (total nitrogen) in rivers and lakes over large geographic areas. Operational Land Imager (OLI) images have been obtained of the North and South Islands of New Zealand for the March 2014 and 2015, with in-situ measurements of bio-optical properties and the water parameters of 18 stations. Satellite images of the date closest to the water sampling were used to statistically correlate the in-situ measurements with various combinations of Landsat 8 bands in order to develop algorithms that best describe those relationships and calculate accurately the aforementioned water quality components. Optimal models were selected based on statistical criteria and indices; finally, the predictive models of CDOM, TP and TN concentrations involving the combination of ultra-blue (B1), blue (B2) and green (B3) OLI bands of Landsat 8 satellite sensor were achieved. As a result of the validation process, CDOM absorption at 420 nm (R = 0.35), TP (R = 0.57) and TN (R = 0.71) concentrations were shown to be the most accurately estimated components, respectively.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the groundwater vulnerability in the upper aquifers of Zarqa River Basin, Jordan using DRASTIC, SINTACS and GOD methods

International journal of water resources and environmental engineering, Feb 28, 2017

Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutant... more Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutants to penetrate the aquifer and harming it. This method helps decision makers by highlighting expected areas to be polluted. In Jordan, groundwater is the main water resource the country uses to match its demand. The groundwater basins in Jordan are divided into 12 major basins; some are rechargeable and others are fossil. Many basins are over exploited; Amman Zarqa basin is a clear example for this case. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced for study area using SINTACS, GOD and DRASTIC indices to study the vulnerability of the aquifers throughout the targeted area. The different resulted maps show different vulnerability classes ranging from low to high reflecting the environmental, hydrological and hydrogeological settings of the groundwater and its recharge ability. The resulted map shows wide variation in groundwater vulnerability in different sites within the targeted area. Within the basin, areas with higher vulnerability are those with friable aquifer materials and shallow groundwater depths. Medium and low vulnerability classes exist too because of the variations of the environmental settings within the targeted areas.

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainable Water Management for Azraq Geopark: Enhancing Environmental Sustainability and Geotourism

International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics

Research paper thumbnail of Hydro-Geoheritage and Paleo-Cultural Footprints Associated with the Socio-Economic Coherence for a Potential Jericho Geopark

Geoheritage, Jul 21, 2023

The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its ge... more The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its geologically complex springs and karst wadi cliffs, as well as its manmade components of ancient aqueducts and dams, and integration of this ancient infrastructure into modern water management systems. The quality and quantity of spring water and the surrounding karstic geology in the area have impacted the lives of the areas' inhabitants from past to present. The cultural and socioeconomic significance of ancient water systems within the potential Jericho Geopark were studied according to their printed history and modern reflections in water management infrastructure, traditions, and values. The paper emphasizes the interlinkage with community and Palestinian identity that is affected by the hydro-Geoheritage of local springs. Spring water management and traditional water laws imprinted in the past continue into the present day. The relationship between water management and modern-day water traditions around the Jericho Geopark springs speak to the interconnectedness of Palestinian identity and the hydrogeological elements of the potential Jericho Geopark.

Research paper thumbnail of GIS-based analytical analysis for selecting potential runoff harvesting sites: the case study of Amman-Zarqa Basin

Sustainable Water Resources Management, Jun 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Fellowship of the Spring: An initiative to document and protect the world's oases

Science of The Total Environment, Aug 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of ex-situ oil shale mining on groundwater resources in Siwaqa area, southern Jordan, using DRASTIC index and hydrochemical water assessment

Earth Sciences Research Journal, Apr 30, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Changes in Total Dissolved Solids Concentration during Infiltration through Soils (Rain, Fresh Groundwater and Treated Wastewater)

Journal of Environmental Protection, 2017

Water quality deterioration took place during infiltration process. Quality of the source water, ... more Water quality deterioration took place during infiltration process. Quality of the source water, climate conditions and amounts of added water are the major role players of the differentiation measures. Treated wastewater, rainwater and fresh groundwater were described within this study. It was found that the rainwater has an aggressive behavior with a high ability to dissolve soil salts. The amounts of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) increase with infiltration process. Electrical conductivity (EC) increased by 600%. Plotting the fresh groundwater to the same conditions and experiment reflects the ability of this water to dissolve soil salts and increases the TDS by increasing the EC by a percentage of around 200%; while applying lower quality of water, the percentage of the EC of the treated wastewater increases to about 230% for the depth of 20 cm, which indicates the accumulation of the salts within this part of the soil, which leads to the deterioration of the soil quality, and decreases to about 160% for a depth of 60 cm. This differentiation could be a result of low permeability soils which tend to accumulate salts as a result of evaporation and then increase the salinity in the topsoil. Dissolution and plant uptake in the infiltrated take of minerals save the soil's water from evaporation and do not allow salts to concentrate in soils. Moreover, plant uptake of soil water chemicals causes a decrease in some salt concentrations such as NO 3 , PO 4 , K, Na, and Cl and may conserve others.

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding the impact of droughts in the Yarmouk Basin, Jordan: monitoring droughts through meteorological and hydrological drought indices

Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Mar 1, 2018

This article assesses drought status in the Yarmouk Basin (YB), in northern Jordan, using the Sta... more This article assesses drought status in the Yarmouk Basin (YB), in northern Jordan, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the Standardized Water-Level Index (SWI), and the Percent Departure from Normal rainfall (PDNimd) during the years 1993-2014. The results showed that the YB suffers from frequent and irregular periods of drought as variations in drought intensity and frequency have been observed. The SPI results revealed that the highest drought magnitude of − 2.34 appeared at Nuaimeh rainfall station in 1991. This station has also experienced severe drought particularly in

Research paper thumbnail of Wise Water Resources Management under the Increasing Number of Refugees in the Third Poorest Water Resources Country (Jordan) – A Suggested Future Spatial Plan for Water Resources Investments

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, Mar 1, 2020

Jordan is the 3rd poorest country in water resources worldwide. It is mostly arid land with limit... more Jordan is the 3rd poorest country in water resources worldwide. It is mostly arid land with limited water resources. It has a high population growth rate and recently receives increasable number of Syrian refugees. Therefore, a wise management of water resources have a great importance in order to keep a life for the people. However, water resources in Jordan are mainly from the groundwater of unconfined limestone aquifer and confined sandstone. The groundwater levels of these two aquifers are rapidly decreasing as results of groundwater over pumping. The groundwater over pumping causes groundwater quality deterioration. Therefore, it is not only the water quantity issues that is facing the country but also the water quality problem. However, Jordan is trying to address the challenge of limited water resources and groundwater over pumping according to several water resources developments projects such as dams, water harvesting, desalination and cloud seeding. This paper suggests an optimized spatial plan for these projects according to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in order to increase its efficiency.

Research paper thumbnail of Groundwater Vulnerability for the Surface Outcropping Aquifers in Jordan

Journal of Environmental Protection, 2015

Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutant... more Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutants to penetrate to the target aquifer and to harm it. This method helps decision makers by shedding light on pollution areas expected to pollute groundwater aquifers as caused by human activities on the ground surface. In Jordan, groundwater is the main water resource the country uses to match its demand. The groundwater basins in Jordan are divided into 12 major basins. Some basins are rechargeable and other basins are fossil. Many basins are over exploited. Amman Zarqa basin is a clear example for this case. Others are saline just like Azraq basin and the rest is expected to be affected by the growing demand for agricultural, municipal and industrial activities. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced for Jordan using DRASTIC index to study the vulnerability of the shallow aquifers throughout the country. The map shows different vulnerability classes ranging from low to very high reflecting the environmental, hydrological and hydrogeological settings of the groundwater and its recharge ability. The resulted map shows wide variation in groundwater vulnerability in different sites in Jordan. Areas with higher vulnerability are those with friable aquifer materials and shallow groundwater depths. Medium and low vulnerability classes are exist too because of the variations of the environmental settings within the targeted areas.

Research paper thumbnail of Global Environmental Issues

Research paper thumbnail of The Geodiversity of Springs in the Potential Jericho Geopark/Palestine

Resources, Nov 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS Technology for detecting Erosion and Accretion of Sandwip Island, Bangladesh

TIJ's Research Journal of Science & IT Management - RJSITM, Dec 30, 2014

Natural resources of off shore island of Bay of Bengal (BoB) have been used for multiple purposes... more Natural resources of off shore island of Bay of Bengal (BoB) have been used for multiple purposes and have strongly influenced socioeconomic development. Conventional methods of collecting information about coastal area are relatively costly, time consuming and inaccurate. On the other hand Remote Sensing (RS) observation with its unique capability provides cost-effective support in compiling the latest information about the environment of coastal area, while Geographic Information System (GIS) facilitates uses for multidisciplinary analysis and decision support. Integrated analysis of RS and GIS can gives a vital input for better planning for exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of resources. In this study Sandwip Island of the BoB has been selected as study area. Landsat MSS (80 m) data of 1973, Landsat TM (30 m) data of 1989 and 2010 were used to generate digital data base of different time period, analysis of erosion and accretion and finally produced digital map of Sandwip island of Bangladesh in different time period. For land water layer generation, near-infrared band of (0.76 to 0.90 μm) has been used to develop an algorithm. In this study DN values of water in band 4 of Landsat-TM have been collected carefully from the histogram of the selected images and applied in the developed algorithm. Erosion and accretion map has been produced using raster base GIS and ArcGIS analysis. The study reveals that about 7068 ha area has been disappeared in the sea during 37 year (1973-2010) of which during 1973 to 1989 the rate of erosion per year was about 316 ha but during 1989 to 2010 it was reduced to 24 ha only.

Research paper thumbnail of New Groundwater Vulnerability Index for the Main Aquifers in Central Catchment Area in Jordan and Validation of the Results Using NO 3 Concentrations Maps

World environment, 2014

The main issue which faced and is still facing Jordan during the last decades is the urgent need ... more The main issue which faced and is still facing Jordan during the last decades is the urgent need to protect the groundwater resources in quality and quantity. Vulnerability studies represent the most important protection actions to sustain these resources for present and future generations. This work dealt with the vulnerability of the water resources of Wadi Kafrain catchment area and its surroundings. The concept of groundwater vulnerability can hereby defined as the ability of groundwater to be polluted. Wadi Kafrain basin represents one of the drainage systems from which drain high lands region around Amman westward down to the Jordan Valley. The basin land is built up of a series of aquifers and aquitards. A new vulnerability index was built up to better suit the area with dry to semi dry climate. This index shows wide variation in the vulnerability classes. Validation by NO 3 concentration mapping was done for the aquifers and it was found that all the vulnerability indices fit the validation map which reflects the accuracy of the work. The area is divided into zones according to the vulnerability rates to help as an efficient tool in planning and decision-making processes to protect water quality for use by present and future generations. The result shows that the groundwater in the present aquifers are with very low, low, moderate, high and very high vulnerability rates the higher rates are posited in the areas with shallow water table, presence of structures and lineaments, permeable vadose zone and high recharge areas.

Research paper thumbnail of Global Environmental Issues

Research paper thumbnail of Global Environmental Issues

Handbook of Environmental Materials Management, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Quantity not quality: promoting sustainable wastewater practices in Jordan

Jordan, the second most water-scarce country in the world, is gradually increasing its reliance o... more Jordan, the second most water-scarce country in the world, is gradually increasing its reliance on treated wastewater for its water supply; more than 90% of treated wastewater is used either in agricultural or industrial activities in Jordan. However, in Jordan, all treated wastewater plants are constructed upstream of dams, the latter being used to store treated wastewater. Most dams in the country were originally constructed to collect freshwater through rainfalls. Mixing this source of freshwater with treated wastewater decreases the dams' water quality. This study examines the effects of mixing freshwater with treated wastewater in dams by comparing water samples from the outflows of selected wastewater treatment plants and different dams with historical hydrochemical data of dam water before the diversion of treated wastewater. This study finds that the quality of dam water, in which freshwater has been mixed with treated wastewater, notably decreases. Hence, this study formulates policy recommendations on how to ensure a sustainable water supply that ensures the quality necessary to different water uses, making the suggestion of a separate storage system in dams.

Research paper thumbnail of Hydro-Geoheritage and Paleo-Cultural Footprints Associated with the Socio-Economic Coherence for a Potential Jericho Geopark

Geoheritage

The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its ge... more The image of the potential Jericho Geopark is defined by its natural components, including its geologically complex springs and karst wadi cliffs, as well as its manmade components of ancient aqueducts and dams, and integration of this ancient infrastructure into modern water management systems. The quality and quantity of spring water and the surrounding karstic geology in the area have impacted the lives of the areas' inhabitants from past to present. The cultural and socioeconomic significance of ancient water systems within the potential Jericho Geopark were studied according to their printed history and modern reflections in water management infrastructure, traditions, and values. The paper emphasizes the interlinkage with community and Palestinian identity that is affected by the hydro-Geoheritage of local springs. Spring water management and traditional water laws imprinted in the past continue into the present day. The relationship between water management and modern-day water traditions around the Jericho Geopark springs speak to the interconnectedness of Palestinian identity and the hydrogeological elements of the potential Jericho Geopark.