Assessment of environmental sensitivity to desertification, soil quality and sustainability in an area of the North Nile Delta, Egypt.

There is growing concern about interconnected environmental issues such as environmental changing, degradation, and desertification. Therefore, the integration assessment studies of environmental sensitivity, soil quality and sustainability is very important in planning and decision making in degraded and vulnerable areas to degradation, especially when associated with spatial distribution of such issues. Therefore, this study aims to: assess environmental sensitivity to desertification in the study area, in addition to assess both of soil quality and sustainability in an area of North Nile Delta as a vital and fertile area that subjected to many challenges; as well, to utilize the GIS tools and capability for mapping the previous mentioned assessments. MEDALUS scheme is used to assess environmental sensitivity. In this scheme four factors (soil, climate, vegetation, and management) are considered to assess this sensitivity. On the other hand, nine soil properties were considered to evaluate the soil quality and sustainability. The results of this study revealed that all study area is classified as critical or fragile environmentally sensitive areas. The most critical part is the southern part of the study area. As well, the results demonstrated lowering in soil quality in the study area and extension in unsustainable parts especially in the degraded, salt-affected and barren parts in the northern and most of the western part of the study area. It is also observed that although all southern part in the study area is sensitive to degradation, the was a particular part is considered as high quality and sustainable. Such assessment studies provide a frame for systematically and subjectively evaluating the potential for significant environmental impacts which should considered in the strategic planning in this area.