Geo-hazards assessment of the new-found industrial communities: an example from the 10th of Ramadan Industrial Region, Egypt

Abstract

AbstractThe impacts of Geo-hazard events are main obstacles to the use of land in numerous arid and semi-arid provinces of the World. Furthermore, the various activities of industrial communities, such as Egypt's 10th Ramadan Industrial Region (10th RIR), are the most dangerous examples of waste's impact on soil, surface water, and groundwater. The current study uses image processing and GIS tools to identify, delineate, monitor, and assess some of the environmental hazards caused by both human and natural activities in the 10th RIR. The findings revealed that there are rapid changes in land cover, which could be attributed to both anthropogenic and natural activities. Furthermore, the results revealed that waterlogging, salt-affected soils, water pollution, and flash floods were the most serious environmental threats to the 10th RIR. The obtained geo-hazard map showed that the 10th RIR has high flash flood hazards zones that are geospatially distributed in the southern parts of the Wadi Gafra basin and the western parts of 10th of Ramadan City. Furthermore, salinized soil zones are viewed as geospatially restricted zone in the eastern portion of 10th of Ramadan City and/or near the oxidation ponds. Additionally, vast areas of highly contaminated groundwater exist beneath industrial, urban, and oxidation pond zones. The current work provides decision-makers with numerous mitigation measures and recommendations required to minimize the impacts of geo-environmental hazards endangering the 10th RIR.