Detecting Land use/cover dynamics and land suitability mapping for Irbid governorate using an integrated approach

This research proposes to design an approach recognizing land use/cover change for Irbid governorate from 1985 to 2015 in 10 years period bases, with an agriculture suitability map using remote sensing and GIS. In this paper, ENVI6 was used to analyse Landsat images, which helps to understand the land uses’ classes. LULC Changes results showed an increase in urban land, from 2% in 1985 reached to 11% in 2015; soil and agricultural classes had declined, in 1985 they were 74% of the total area, and reduced to 67% in 2015.  Irbid Governorate’s change detection results revealed that the decline of agriculture and rock land areas is due to the accelerated expansion of urbanization, which negatively affects agricultural lands. Modelling the area showed high suitability for agricultural activities, which should be considered for the upcoming plans

The effects of ex-situ oil shale mining on groundwater resources in Siwaqa area, southern Jordan, using DRASTIC index and hydrochemical water assessment

Energy resources in addition to water resources are the most limited resources in Jordan, being one of the fourth poorest countries in water resources, and limitation of surface water resources put huge pressure on groundwater which is the main resource there. High expenses and the increasing prices of oil over all worlds increase the feasibility to mining the oil shale that exists in southern Jordan area, Siwaqa. This study took place to clarify the possible effects of mining and energy production activities on the water resources in that area. Groundwater vulnerability mapping was done for many areas all over the country, including this part. The initiative of this work is to determine the vulnerability under the conditions of removing the bedrock of the oil shale which is described as a con ning layer. Results that are obtained by this work conclude that the oil shale area becomes highly vulnerable to the human activities because of the existing geological structures while it is small and medium vulnerable in the elds in which there are no geological structures. In addition to the structural features and adding the possibility of the oil shale mining from the outcropped areas which will decrease the depth to water table and hence will affect the vulnerability values. Efectos en las fuentes de agua subterránea de la minería ex situ de esquistos bituminosos, en el área de Siwaqa, al sur de Jordania, a través del índice DRASTIC y la evaluación hidroquímica del agua ResumenLas fuentes de energía y agua son las más limitadas en Jordania, uno de los cuatro países más pobres en recursos hídricos; además, las limitadas fuentes super ciales hacen de las aguas subterráneas las más importantes. Las ganancias y el precio del petróleo, por su parte, incrementan la viabilidad de la minería de esquistos bituminosos en el sur de Jordania, en la región de Siwaqa. Este estudio se realiza con el  n de establecer los posibles efectos de las actividades de producción de energía y minería en las fuentes hídricas de la zona. Se elaboró un mapa de vulnerabilidad para las fuentes de agua subterránea en varias regiones del país, incluida el área de estudio. La iniciativa de este trabajo es determinar la vulnerabilidad si se remueve el lecho rocoso del esquisto bituminoso, que funciona como una capa de con namiento. Los resultados obtenidos evidencian que el esquisto bituminoso se torna bastante vulnerable a las actividades humanas debido a la presencia de estructuras geológicas, mientras que su vulnerabilidad es media o baja en aquellos lugares donde no hay estructuras geológicas. Además de los rasgos estructurales, existe la posibilidad de que la minería del esquisto bituminoso en las áreas de a oramiento podría descender hasta la capa freática y allí afectar los valores de vulnerabilidad

Understanding the impact of droughts in the Yarmouk Basin, Jordan: monitoring droughts through meteorological and hydrological drought indices

This article assesses drought status in the Yarmouk Basin (YB), in northern Jordan, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the Standardized Water-Level Index (SWI), and the Percent Departure from Normal rainfall (PDNimd) during the years 1993–2014. The results showed that the YB suffers from frequent and irregular periods of drought as variations in drought intensity and frequency have been observed. The SPI results revealed that the highest drought magnitude of − 2.34 appeared at Nuaimeh rainfall station in 1991. This station has also experienced severe drought particularly in years 1995, 1999, 2005, and 2012 with SPI values ranging from − 1.51 to − 1.59. Some other rainfall stations such as Baqura, Ibbin, Khanasiri, Kharja, Mafraq police, Ramtha, Turra, and Umm Qais have also suffered several periods of drought mostly in 1993. The SWI results show the highest extreme drought events in 2001 in Souf well while other extreme drought periods were observed at Wadi Elyabis well in 1994 and at Mafraq well in 1995. As compared to SPI maps, our SWI maps reflect severe and extreme drought events in most years, negatively impacting the groundwater levels in the study area

Stakeholders’ Perspective on Groundwater Management in Four Water-Stressed Mediterranean Areas: Priorities and Challenges

Recent studies highlight the fragility of the Mediterranean basin against climate stresses and the difficulties of managing the sustainable development of groundwater resources. In this work, the main issues related to groundwater management have been identified from the stakeholder’s perspective in the following four representative water-stressed Mediterranean areas: the coastal aquifer of Comacchio (Italy), the Alto Guadalentín aquifer (Spain), the alluvial aquifer of the Gediz River basin (Turkey), and the Azraq aquifer (Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan). This has been achieved by designing a methodology to involve and engage a representative set of stakeholders, including a questionnaire to learn their point of view concerning the current management of aquifer systems and their experience with the already available tools for groundwater resource management, such as monitoring networks and numerical models. The outcome of the survey has allowed us to identify both particular and common challenges among the four study sites and among the various groups of stakeholders. This information provides valuable insights to improve the transfer of scientific knowledge from the research centers to the authorities managing the groundwater resources and it will help to plan more effective research activities on aquifer management. The proposed methodology could be applied in other aquifers facing similar problems.This study has received funding in the framework of the RESERVOIR project: (sustainable groundwater RESources managEment by integrating eaRth observation deriVed monitoring and flOw modelIng Results), funded by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) programme supported by the European Union (Grant Agreement 1924; https://reservoir-prima.org/, accessed on 13 March 2022). The research was also funded by the University of Pavia in the framework of a research grant award “assegno di tipo A premiale” for research activities at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, within the research project entitled “Sustainable groundwater resources management by integrating A-DInSAR derived monitoring and flow modeling results” assigned to Roberta Bonì from March 2019 to February 2021

Stakeholders’ Perspective on Groundwater Management in Four Water-Stressed Mediterranean Areas: Priorities and Challenges

none21sìopenBonì, Roberta; Teatini, Pietro; Zoccarato, Claudia; Guardiola-Albert, Carolina; Ezquerro, Pablo; Bru, Guadalupe; Tomás, Roberto; Valdes-Abellan, Javier; Pla, Conception; Navarro-Hernández, María I.; Elçi, Alper; Çaylak, Baris; Ören, Ali Hakan; Shatanawi, Khaldoun; Mohammad, Alsharifa Hind; Hajar, Husam Abu; Letterio, Tommaso; Genovesi, Roberto; Hreisha, Hazem; Al-Mimi, Qamar; Meisina, ClaudiaBonì, Roberta; Teatini, Pietro; Zoccarato, Claudia; Guardiola-Albert, Carolina; Ezquerro, Pablo; Bru, Guadalupe; Tomás, Roberto; Valdes-Abellan, Javier; Pla, Conception; Navarro-Hernández, María I.; Elçi, Alper; Çaylak, Baris; Ören, Ali Hakan; Shatanawi, Khaldoun; Mohammad, Alsharifa Hind; Hajar, Husam Abu; Letterio, Tommaso; Genovesi, Roberto; Hreisha, Hazem; Al-Mimi, Qamar; Meisina, Claudi

Assessing Water Quality of Kufranja Dam (Jordan) for Drinking and Irrigation: Application of the Water Quality Index

The current study was undertaken to assess the physicochemical quality of the Kufranja dam (KD) surface water in northern Jordan during the summer and winter seasons [2019]. The samples were analyzed for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, major cations, major anions, and heavy metals. Most of the physicochemical parameters exhibited a similar spatial distribution, where the maximum concentrations were observed at the dam’s entrance, while the minimum concentrations were recorded at the dam’s end. This indicates that the factors affecting their occurrence and distribution are the same, including natural discharges from the surrounding catchment areas, weathering products, agricultural activities, and wastewater effluents that enter the dam via Wadi Kufranja. All the physicochemical parameters and heavy metals in KD water lie below the maximum permissible levels of the Jordanian and international standards for drinking and irrigation, except for EC values that are above WHO standards for drinking. The application of the water quality index (WQI) depicts that the KD water is chemically unsuitable for use in drinking and needs proper treatment before use. The irrigation indices (SAR, Na%, and MH) indicate that the KD water is chemically suitable for irrigation, whereas EC results and USSL diagram showed that the dam’s water is suitable for irrigation and belongs to the categories of good to permissible for irrigation. Therefore, KD water is suitable for irrigation of most soils (except soils with low salt tolerance). Crops with good salt tolerance are recommended and a special treatment of salinity might be required

GIS-based analytical modeling on evaluating impacts of urbanization in Amman water resources, Jordan

Amman governorate is the largest governorate in terms of population and urbanization in Jordan that is the third most water-scarce country worldwide. It has also limited water resources that were rapidly decreasing as results of groundwater over-pumping and climate changes that generate a serious water crisis. However, the population and urbanization focused on the Northwest of the governorate. The surface water and groundwater resources are available in the Northwest area as well. The overlaying between urbanization and population on one hand and water resources on the other hand resulted in different environmental, hydrological, and hydrogeological problems. Our research investigated these problems using an integrated approach of remote sensing and geographic information systems. Furthermore, our research suggested a spatial plan that would solve the conflict of urbanization\u27s impact on water resources in Amman. Accordingly, the catchment areas that span on the study area and their drainage network were defined

Analysis of Historical Precipitation in Semi-Arid Areas – Case Study of the Amman Zarqa Basin

Climate change is determined as a severe threat to water resource availability in Semi-Arid Areas. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the drought trends to develop and sustain water resources. This study evaluates the effects of climate change in Jordan by investigating the long-term precipitation trends in the Amman Zarqa Basin over the water from 1971 to 2016. Daily precipitation data were gathered to analyze different rainfall stations over and around the basin. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) variations were investigated at monthly intervals. Control charts, hypothesis testing, T-test, differences of variances, and trend analysis were used to determine climatic trends. The analysis results showed that 2003 marks an acceleration point in the precipitation decrease rate; therefore, the SPI showed a decrease and a high DI for the area in the tested year 2005 and 2010 to be a mild drought in the following years. Additionally, a change in the precipitation pattern was observed as seasonal precipitation contribution varied for the pre-2003 period compared to the post-2003 period. The SPI results show that 1995 reflects the higher drought periods, and the following years showed mild drought events; nevertheless, the year 2016 displayed lower drought events, reflecting wet events

The Geodiversity of Springs in the Potential Jericho Geopark/Palestine

The objective of this study is to investigate the hydrogeological and hydrochemical characteristics of the spring aquifer system in the potential Jericho Geopark in Jericho, Palestine. The spring’s hydrochemistry influences the physical and hydrochemical characteristics of Jericho Geopark in qualitative potentials. The springs are used for domestic water supplies and irrigation in Jericho area, which is considered as one of the most important agricultural baskets of the West Bank feeding from the “spring system complex”. From the geological and structural point of view, the area is considered to be complex in relation to the major structural features of faults and folds, which formed during the formation of the Jordan Rift Valley. The physical properties (pH, DO, temperature, TDS and EC) were interpreted. The hydro-chemical concentration major ions of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl−, SO42−, NO3− and HCO3− were analyzed for the spring water system samples. The dominant spring water type is the calcium bicarbonate due to the dissociation of calcite mineral during the water rock interaction processes. The microbiological parameters of Total and Fecal coliforms were analyzed for the targeted springs and indicates no detected pollution. The hydrochemical characteristics of the spring waters indicate no ion concentration trends. The calculated quality water Index indicated that all springs are of excellent spring water type. The study contributes to the qualitative spring water as a major component to the potential Jericho Geopark in order to have better understanding of the community-based protection practice