Prof. Islam Abu Al-Magd reviews a report on the achievements and projects of the Engineering and Water Applications Division at the Remote Sensing Authority.

Prof. Islam Abu Al-Magd reviews a report on the achievements and projects of the Engineering and Water Applications Division at the Remote Sensing Authority.

Dr. Islam Abu El-Magd, Chairman of the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, reviewed a report from Dr. Salwa El-Beih, Head of the Engineering and Water Applications Division, on the achievements and projects of the Engineering and Water Applications Division at the Authority.

The Chairman of the Authority cleared that there is great interest on the part of Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in enhancing cooperation between the research bodies affiliated with the Ministry and various bodies and institutions, to achieve integration and cooperation that benefits society, in line with achieving the objectives of the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Dr. Islam Abu Al-Magd explained that the objectives of the Engineering and Water Applications Division of the Authority were the use and development of remote sensing and GIS technology and numerical modelling for surface and groundwater resources, engineering, water and infrastructure problems, impacts and demographic studies, surface and groundwater resources, engineering and infrastructure related applications Archaeological sites, tourism-related applications, applications to monitor risks affecting water resources and infrastructure, and archaeological and tourism sites.

The Chairman of the Authority pointed out that the Engineering and Water Applications Division of the Authority has implemented many important projects, most notably the selection and evaluation of civil and coastal development sites in Marsa Matruh Governorate using remote sensing technologies and geographic information systems; with the aim of identifying the best sites for establishing a port in the Northwest Coast region based on the requirements for establishing ports and marinas, as well as evaluating the site of one of the proposed ports. 62 suitable sites were classified as promising areas.

The President of the Authority added that, in view of the increasing demand for water and the expected future development of the Western Sahara, Atlas of hydrological maps of Alexandria, Greater Cairo, North Upper Egypt and North Central Upper Egypt are being implemented using geographic information systems and satellite imagery, as part of the country's efforts to implement new agricultural development and land reclamation projects based on groundwater resources, particularly the new Delta project and the 1.5 Million-acre project.

Dr. Islam Abu Al-Magd added that the Authority produced an atlas of hydrogeological maps for the Sinai Peninsula and another atlas for the southern Western Desert from latitude 22 south to latitude 27 north through the project: “An Appeal to Egyptian Scientists Initiative,” which is a project funded by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.

Dr. Islam Abu Al-Magd indicated that the project had been prepared in cooperation between the Engineering and Water Applications Division and the Geological Applications Division; The aim is to compile all groundwater and surface water characteristics and potential data in a single volume (paper and digital database) that is easy to access and update, make available to investors, decision makers, relevant governorates and researchers up-to-date hydrogeological maps using field measurements, previous studies, geo-topographic maps, and satellite imagery.

The current project also aims to provide hydrogeological data for the northern Western Desert, which includes groundwater levels, the type of groundwater reservoirs, withdrawal rates, well locations, and other data, and to provide it in the form of an atlas of maps so that planners, decision-makers, and investors in the field of agricultural, industrial, urban, and tourism investment can benefit from it by providing the expected cost of drilling new wells and conducting hydrogeological measurements, in light of the expansion of the areas covered by agricultural development projects, which cover areas of the back desert west of the Nile (the governorates of northern Upper Egypt, western Delta, Fuka, Marsa Matruh, Borg El Arab, El Maghra, Wadi El Fargh, Wadi El Natrn, El Dabaa, Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, Siwa, and other areas).

It is worth noting that the targeted categories and places from the results of this project are the governorates of (Alexandria - Marsa Matruh - Beheira - Giza - Faiyum) which are covered by the hydrogeological maps, in addition to the Ministries of Water Resources and Irrigation, Agriculture, Environment, Tourism, the private sector and universities, in addition to investors and researchers.