Assessment impact of the Damietta harbour (Egypt) and its deep navigation channel on adjacent shorelines
Mohsen Ezzeldin, Osami Rageh, Mahmoud E. Saad
Abstract
Deep navigation channels have a great impact on adjacent beaches and crucial economic effects because of periodic dredging operations. The navigation channel of the Damietta harbour is considered a clear example of the sedimentation problem and deeply affects the Northeastern shoreline of the Nile Delta in Egypt. The aim of the present study is to monitor shoreline using remote sensing techniques to evaluate the effect of Damietta harbour and its navigation channel on the shoreline for the last 45 years. Also, the selected period was divided into two periods to illustrate the effect of man-made interventions on the shoreline. Shorelines were extracted from satellite images and then the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) was used to estimate accurate rates of shoreline changes and predict future shorelines evolution of 2030, 2040, 2050 and 2060. The Damietta harbour created an accretion area in the western side with an average rate of 2.13 m yr-1. On the contrary, the shoreline in the eastern side of the harbour retreated by 92 m on average over the last 45 years. So, it is considered one of the main hazard areas along the Northeastern shoreline of the Nile Delta that needs a sustainable solution. Moreover, a detached breakwaters system is predicted to provide shore stabilization at the eastern side as the implemented one at Ras El-Bar beach. Predicted shoreline evolution of 2060 shows a significant retreat of 280.0 m on average.