Evaluation of Groundwater Using Geographic Information Systems

Egypt is one of the countries which characterized by arid climate. Water is the major factor in development of the country. Nile River is the main water source in Egypt, while the second water source is groundwater especially in the desert areas. The growing population and the need for improving the living conditions of Egyptian community have been resulted in the establishment of new urban areas, industrial zones, land reclamation, and different types of developmental projects. In the Nile Valley, the only available areas for carrying out such activities are the desert zones surrounding the floodplain on both sides of the Nile Valley. Undoubtedly, one of the ways to provide valuable information about these zones is by evaluating and understanding groundwater in the area and land suitability for the development. A strip of the desert zones has already been reclaimed and is irrigated essentially with groundwater. The continuous increase in groundwater demand in the desert fringes is believed to affect sustainability of the groundwater supply both quantitatively and qualitatively. Geographic Information Systems has proved to be an efficient tool in evaluation of Groundwater.