Aeolian Sand Transport Potential
and Its Environmental Impact
in Dakhla Oasis, Egypt
Abbas M. Sharaky
Abstract Sand dune encroachment is one of the most environmental issues in Africa.
It is a natural cause of desertification in the Western Desert, Egypt. The arid lands
in Africa are strongly influenced by desertification. Sand dune movements threaten
irrigated lands and water canals, residential areas, and water wells Dakhla Oasis. Sand
dunes in Dakhla Oasis are crescentic and linear dunes. Several villages in Dakhla
suffer from dune encroachment. The rate of Dakhla dune movement was measured
using two sets of aerial photographs, 1961 and 1982 and Landsat images 2019.
The rate of sand dune movement is between 0.5 and 14.0 m/yr with an average
of 5.8 m/year for the crescentic dunes. That of liner or longitudinal dune (Seif)
movement is 7.5 m/year. Sand dune movements are determined by dune size and
local wind direction and velocity. Small dunes generally move faster than the larger
ones. The rates of crescentic dune growth in terms of width and length average
between 25 and 37 cm/year. The present chapter applied Sand drift potential (DP)
formula using Fryberger model on the average effective wind speed sets at Dakhla
and Farafra oases. The period from March to May showed the highest resultant drift
potential. Controlling sand dune movements is very difficult and more expensive.
Keywords Sand dunes · Dakhla Oasis · Dune movement · Sand drift potential ·
Fryberger model
1 Introduction
Sand dune movement towards cultivated lands is a natural cause of desertification
that is an important environmental issue in Africa. Soil is one of the most essential
resources and the basis of agriculture which is the dominant sector in Africa. It is one
of the major sources of income in Africa. The daily lives of, most Africans account
for just over 60% of jobs across the continent. Agriculture represents about 25%
of the GDP in Africa (World Bank 2015), ranging from 3% in Botswana to 50%
A. M. Sharaky (B)
Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of High African Studies, Cairo University, 12613,
Giza, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_7
103
and Its Environmental Impact
in Dakhla Oasis, Egypt
Abbas M. Sharaky
Abstract Sand dune encroachment is one of the most environmental issues in Africa.
It is a natural cause of desertification in the Western Desert, Egypt. The arid lands
in Africa are strongly influenced by desertification. Sand dune movements threaten
irrigated lands and water canals, residential areas, and water wells Dakhla Oasis. Sand
dunes in Dakhla Oasis are crescentic and linear dunes. Several villages in Dakhla
suffer from dune encroachment. The rate of Dakhla dune movement was measured
using two sets of aerial photographs, 1961 and 1982 and Landsat images 2019.
The rate of sand dune movement is between 0.5 and 14.0 m/yr with an average
of 5.8 m/year for the crescentic dunes. That of liner or longitudinal dune (Seif)
movement is 7.5 m/year. Sand dune movements are determined by dune size and
local wind direction and velocity. Small dunes generally move faster than the larger
ones. The rates of crescentic dune growth in terms of width and length average
between 25 and 37 cm/year. The present chapter applied Sand drift potential (DP)
formula using Fryberger model on the average effective wind speed sets at Dakhla
and Farafra oases. The period from March to May showed the highest resultant drift
potential. Controlling sand dune movements is very difficult and more expensive.
Keywords Sand dunes · Dakhla Oasis · Dune movement · Sand drift potential ·
Fryberger model
1 Introduction
Sand dune movement towards cultivated lands is a natural cause of desertification
that is an important environmental issue in Africa. Soil is one of the most essential
resources and the basis of agriculture which is the dominant sector in Africa. It is one
of the major sources of income in Africa. The daily lives of, most Africans account
for just over 60% of jobs across the continent. Agriculture represents about 25%
of the GDP in Africa (World Bank 2015), ranging from 3% in Botswana to 50%
A. M. Sharaky (B)
Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of High African Studies, Cairo University, 12613,
Giza, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_7
103