US Egypt Cooperative Research: Groundwater Management and Preservation of Egyptian Antiquities and Monuments: New Hydrogeologic Analysis

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

Groundwater geoenvironmental impacts caused by changes in water and agricultural resource management after construction of the Aswan High dam and land use change are threatening monuments and temples as well as groundwater quantity and quality in the Nile Valley, Upper Egypt. Consequences include damages to the famous monuments and temples of Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor, Karnak, Medinet Habu, Madamoud, Dendara, and Abydos. Other consequences include groundwater and soil contamination, increasing soil salinity and decreasing soil fertility due to groundwater rise, lack of efficient drainage and agricultural inputs. The US PI will collaborate with Dr. Ayman A. Ahmed from Sohag University in Egypt to evaluate groundwater geoenvironmental impacts that are affecting the Luxor area of Upper Egypt. Intellectual Merit. The project will utilize groundwater modeling, geographic information system (G1S) and remote sensing (RS) to conduct comparative studies between the Nile Valley and similar types of irrigated agrosystems in United States. One of the applications of the proposed project is to improve the groundwater model to be sufficiently reliable to support decision making on how best to manage the system so that water-logging of the archeological sites is minimized or eliminated, while satisfying core water resources needs in the region. The objectives of the proposal are to achieve (1) continued improvements to the Nile Valley aquifer model, including model calibration and sensitivity analysis; (2) in-depth modeling analysis of short- and long-term consequences of various water resource management alternatives; (3) construction of groundwater flow and contaminant transport models of the system and application toward analysis of groundwater quantity and quality sustainability; and (4) construction of groundwater management models to balance the change in land use since 1972 to present. The PIs will conduct a comparative analysis between the Nile Valley aquifer system and the similar irrigated agrosystem of western U.S. alluvial basins and test management alternatives for lowering the water table at Luxor area, thereby improving the water quality and slowing the salinization of soils and groundwater. Broader Impacts. The US and Egyptian PIs anticipate significant benefits from these research results, including the potential to impact archaeological preservation in the Nile Valley, the exchange of knowledge and methodologies between the US and Egyptian teams, and outcomes that can be used to inform policy makers about land use options. A US graduate student will be engaged in the research effort and will have an opportunity to travel to Egypt to engage in international research collaboration. The project is funded under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to undertake cooperative research.