Objectives: Develop a replicable integrated model (methodology) for evaluating the extent and development potential of renewable (non-renewable) groundwater resources in arid lands, with the Eastern Desert of Egypt as a pilot site. The model will be replicable for similar arid areas; North of Sudan, Tibesty, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. Building national capacities.

1. The Eastern Desert Project
EDP
by
Ahmad Wagdy, Ph.D.
Asc. Prof. of Hydraulics,
Cairo University
Project Director, UNDP
June, 23rd , 2005 Eastern Desert Project

2. EGYPT

3. Objectives
• Develop a replicable integrated model
(methodology) for evaluating the extent and
development potential of renewable (non-renewable)
groundwater resources in arid lands,
with the Eastern Desert of Egypt as a pilot site.
• The model will be replicable for similar arid areas;
North of Sudan, Tibesty, Yemen, and Saudi
Arabia.
• Building national capacities.

4. Brief Description of EDP
• A 3-years Targeted-Research Project
• Develop a replicable model for integrating
renewable groundwater resources of wady
systems of arid regions into national water
budget
• Funded by GEF through UNDP
• Total GEF contribution of $ 830,000
• In-kind local contribution of $ 590,000
• Executing agency : Cairo University

5. Partners
• Irrigation & Hydraulics Department,
Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University
• Center for Environmental Hazards
Mitigation (CEHM), Cairo University
• National Water Research Center (NWRC)
• Groundwater Sector, Ministry of Water
Resources and Irrigation (MWRI)
• Western Michigan University (WMU),
International Consultant (IC)

6. Project Flow Chart
Inception Report
PWB
Inputs Field Work Processed Layers
Geology
Topography
Hydrology
Geochemistry
Infiltration
Capacity
Rainfall
Runoff
Isotopic
Composition
DEM
Wady
Deliation
Design
Storms
Aquifer
Extent
Meteorology
Soil
Landuse
Development
Plans
Ground
proofing
Well Drilling
Pumping
Tests
Geophysics
Analysis
Precipitation
Analysis
Surface Water
Modelling
Recharge
Estimation
Groundwater
Modelling
Development
Potential
EIA
Groundwater
Source &age

7. Approach
• Adopt an interdisciplinary approach
• Utilize GIS technologies for data integration,
assimilation, and visualization.
• Utilize RS and global data sets that are readily
available for most of the world’s land surface
• Host data in a web-based GIS environment for
data distribution & analysis
• Test, verify and apply principles of arid regions
hydrology

8. Approach : continued
• Adoption of cost-effective technologies that are
not alternatives to drilling and geophysical
approaches, but ones that call on these
methodologies as a final step in the
investigation.
• Emphasize the importance of generating and
distributing data sets and the tools needed for
the analysis of the data to ensure widespread
experience exchange and long lasting benefits.
• Build capacities as we move.
• Compile and ultimately produce an integrated
methodology for groundwater assessment and
development that is replicable for aquifers
underlying wady systems in arid regions.

9. Phased Implementation
• Stage I -- Initial Steps and compilation of
relevant inputs
• Stage II --Analysis of Data and
Identification of Target Areas
• Stage III -- Locating and assessment of
alluvial aquifers recharged by modern
meteoric precipitation and other sources

10. Stage I: Compilation of relevant
digital and hard copy inputs (e.g.,
geologic maps, hydrologic data,
geochemical data)

11. 1. Review Tasks
• A full package of review material concerning
the Eastern Desert (six volumes covering
Geology, Hydrology, Geochemistry,
Geophysics, Soil, land use, and previous
modeling attempts concerning surface and
groundwater).
• Compiled meteorological parameters:
precipitation, temperature, wind, solar
radiation.
• A Well Inventory for ED.

12. 2. Remote Sensing Thematic
Layers
1. Full set of georeferenced Conoco
Geologic Maps 1:500,000
2. Complete coverage of georeferenced
Landsat TM scenes
3. Complete coverage of ASTER Scenes
L1A and L1B
4. SRTM (radar) coverage of the Eastern
Desert at 1km horizontal resolution and
SIR-C data
5. 7-Band reflectance Mosaic of Landsat
TM over Eastern Desert
6. Mosaic of Geologic Maps covering the
Eastern Desert
7. Digital Elevation Terrain Data (DEM) for
the entire Eastern Desert

13. 3. Rainfall Analysis
• Complete record for ground
stations rainfall, during the
last 50 years. Set of new
TRMM data. Set of global
1° ppt., SMMI data.
• Meteorological approach.
• Statistical approach.
• Classification of storm.
• Precipitation patterns.
• Design storms. Longitude of stations
Latitude of stations
EL-SUEZ
ASWAN
CAIRO
ASYUT
ABU SIMBEL
EL TOR
HURGHADA
ISMAILIA
KENA KOSSEIR
LUXOR
MINYA
SOHAG
RAS-BINAS
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
30 31 32 33 34 35 36

15. Procedures
I- Identify rain storm events which are generally
few and far between in this area using TRMM
data
II- Verify the individual events by examining
– cloud patterns
– temporal variation in vegetation (NDVI), land surface
temperature (LST), soil moisture
– comparisons with rain gauge data.
III – Automate Procedure
IV – Model surface runoff and recharge

16. Utilized Datasets
• TRMM-3B42V6 to extract 3-hourly precipitation
data
• AVHRR data for daily soil moisture and NDVI
measurements
• METEOSAT-7 for monitoring cloud movement
• SSM/I for 4-hourly precipitation and soil moisture
verification
• rain gauge data for ground truthing

17. 4. Age & Origin of Groundwater
• Determine the
renewability potential for
the groundwater.
• Geochemical and Isotope
analysis for groundwater.
• Chloride content soil
analysis.
• Regional visualization for
the entire ED.
• Cation: filtered, 60-mL
acidified sample.
• Anion and alkalinity:
unfiltered, unacidified 125-
mL.
• Stable isotope ratio (H & O):
unfiltered, 30-mL
unacidified.
• Tritium analysis: unfiltered,
unacidified (500-mL).
• Chlorine-36: unfiltered,
unacidified 500-mL.

18. 5. Developing a Web-Based GIS

19. DBMS
Oracle
D-Base System
DBMS
Oracle
WMU
SDE
Application Server
CU
SDE
Application Server
Database engine: Microsoft SQL
Server 2000 database
management system (DBMS)
ArcIMS ArcIMS
The database system is
integrated with ArcIMS (ARC
Internet Map Server) via
ArcSDE (ARC Spatial
Database Engine)

20. DBMS
Oracle
Client
Web browser
ArcIMS
DBMS
Oracle
WMU
SDE
Application Server
CU
SDE
Application Server
Client
ArcIMS
ArcIMS is utilized in the integration
of local GIS data sources with
Internet data sources for
display, query, and analysis
using a web browser

21. Geomorphology and Lithology
from Landsat Data

22. Generation of Accurate Digital
Elevation Maps from Stereo Images
(e.g. ASTER data)

23. Streams from DEM

24. Watersheds from DEM

25. Rain Gauges

26. Better Estimates of Precipitation
from TRMM
1998 Total

27. Generation of digital mosaics of all
relevant data sets (e.g., digital mosaics of
geologic maps, Landsat TM data, lithologic maps
extracted from processed Landsat data, SIR-C data)

28. Buried faults/structures from
SIRC (L-Band) Radar Data

29. Regional sampling and analysis (solute
chemistry, O, H) of groundwater to
identify the sources of ground water
across areas of investigation: Our GW
Sample Locations

30. Lithology from Processed
Landsat
TTMM bbaanndd rraattiioo iimmaaggeess::
RReedd sseerrppeennttiinniittee;; GGrreeeenn ggrraanniittee;; BBlluuee:: mmaaffiicc rroocckkss

31. 6. Estimation of Recharge
• Infiltration testing
program
• Modeling.

32. 7. Real Time Data Collection
• Set up a network of rain gauges.
• Identify appropriate locations for stream
flow gauges
• Monitor real time data whenever
appropriate.

33. 8. Surface Water Modeling
 Construct a recharge / runoff model
 Adjusted SCS Method / Arid region
approach
 Apply to all major Wadies (7)
1. GIS (co-registered data)
2. Watershed delineation
3. Precipitation
4. Initial losses
5. Runoff hydrographs & channel routing
6. Transmission losses
Groundwater recharge / Select wadies with
best GW development potential

34. 9. Field Investigations for
Selected Basins
• Geophysical investigations.
• Delineation of aquifer aerial extent and
boundaries.
• Well drilling.
• Pumping tests.
• Detection of aquifer characteristics.

35. 10. Groundwater Modeling
• Develop a conceptual GW flow model
• Construct a two-dimensional GW model
• Model calibration and validation.
• Conduct steady state / transient simulations
• Explore alternatives development scenarios for
sustainable utilization of ED water resources.
• Explore the utility of coupled surface runoff / gw
flow models for selected Wady(s).

36. 11. Development Scenarios and
EIA
• Assessment of current status.
• Environmental Impact Assessment.
• Potential sustainable pumping.
• Probable development potential
• Conjunctive use.

37. 12. Capacity Building and Regional
Exchange of Experience
– Training Seminar on Meteorology and Hydrology
Sep, 2003
– Training Seminar on RS & Image Processing Using PCI
Oct, 2003.
– Training Seminar on Geochemisty and Isotopic Analysis
Dec, 2003.
– Training Seminar on Surface Water Modeling using WMS
Dec, 2003.
– Training Seminar on Ground Water Modeling using GMS
Jan , 2004
– Training Seminar on Remote Sensing and GIS
Applications
Apr , 2004
– Training Seminar on Integrated Methodology for
Assessing the GW Development Potential in Arid Regions
Oct, 2004.

38. Monitoring & Evaluation
• Project performance (operational) monitoring :
– Financial and administrative M&E measures and
procedures are good. Technical and scientific M&E of
conceptual and produced results may not be equally
good (these may vary throughout the project
execution).
– Risk management has to be emphasized.
– Outcome and objectives evaluation may not
accurately describe the project performance since
objectives are often expected to be fulfilled by the end
of the project and may only be (practically) assessed
during the post project period
• It is highly recommended to reformulate a more flexible
set of measures and tools for M&E of future GW projects
which reflect the specific nature of each project, but falls
under a general umbrella of joint cross-cutting areas
which are common to all GW projects.

39. Finally…..
• Integrated Work
• Multidisciplinary
• Research
• Development
• Practical methodology and replicable
model that may augment policies.
• We really hope that by the end of the
project we will have contributed an output
that really serves the best for our nation
and our region.

40. THANK
YOU