Integrated Land Use Planning in Wadi El-Amal, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

The study shows how to use cutting-edge geospatial technology to better assess desert resources and provides a systematic approach that can be used elsewhere under the same conditions. A total studied area of 19320 Faddan in Wadi El-Amal located in Aswan governorate, Egypt. This study area is a desert; however, haphazard planning, management practices, and inadequate investments result in land and water resource degradation. The pedo-morphologial, physical, chemical, fertility characteristics of the selected soils were studied based on in-situ, remotely sensed and other data sources. Data on water geochemistry of water samples, collected from three dug wells were also utilized for this study. Five soil mapping units (SMUs) were prepared based on soil depth, rock fragments intensity and size, soil texture, and land topography. The SMUs are: (i) deep moderately fine textured soils with almost flat topography (4760 Faddan; 24.64%), (ii) deep gravelly medium textured soils with gently undulating topography (4740 Faddan; 24.53%), (iii) moderately deep gravelly coarse textured soils with gently undulating topography (3350 Faddan; 17.34%), (iv) shallow cobbly coarse textured soils with undulating topography (2900 Faddan; 15.01%), and (v) very shallow stony coarse textured soils with undulating topography (3570 Faddan; 18.48%). Different evaluation methods were utilized to characterize, evaluate, and plan the studied lands based on the collected data related to soil, water, environmental, political, and socioeconomic criteria. Three different evaluation methods namely qualitative desert land potentiality evaluation (Q_LDLPE), the American land capability classification (USDA LCC), and qualitative desert land aptness for crops (Q_LDLAC) were used to implement assess the potentiality and capability of the studied lands to produce various suitable crops. Q_LDLPE model has grouped the study area into four potentiality classes (high, moderate, slight, and low) while the USDA LCC system classified the study area into three capability classes (class-III, class-IV, and class-V). The characteristics of each soil unit were compared with the requirements of major crops of the study area and suitable crops for each unit were identified. Six land utilization types (field crops, vegetables, citrus-fruits, oil crops, forages, aromatic plants) were suggested as value-added crops for cultivation following the precision farming technique. The results of the evaluation analyses were integrated to propose a sustainable plan through integrated desert land use planning (IDLUP) methodology. Accordingly, about of 66.51% of the total study area (12850 Faddan) was determined for agricultural development, while the rest area (33.49%) was excluded from the agrarian expansion and may be used for the housing and constructions. Value-added crops were prioritized as follows: Field crops and vegetables (4760 Faddan) > citrus-fruits and oil crops (4740 Faddan) > medicinal, aromatic plants, and forages (3350 Faddan). The findings suggest strategies for coping with sustainable agricultural practices for the present study area and provide an integrated methodology for future assessments elsewhere, especially in the desert areas