Quantifying ETo Maps Across Egypt A Remote Sensing Approach to Address Water Needs for Agricultural
2Quantifying ETo Maps Across Egypt: A Remote Sensing Approach to Address Water Needs for Agricultural Irrigation
Layman Abstract : Egypt is facing a serious water shortage, especially in agriculture, which uses about 85% of the country’s water supply. This problem is worsened by the government’s efforts to expand farmland to meet the needs of a growing population.
To help manage water resources more effectively, this study used advanced mapping technology (GIS) and a scientific formula (FAO Penman-Monteith) to measure how much water evaporates from land and plants (called evapotranspiration or ETo) across Egypt. By analyzing climate data from 1970 to 2000, researchers created detailed monthly maps showing how ETo changes across the country.
The study found that ETo is highest in June (9.5 mm/day) and lowest in December (3.28 mm/day). It also discovered that ETo increases from north to south due to higher temperatures and sunlight, except for the Red Sea Coast, where humidity keeps ETo lower.
These findings can help farmers and policymakers make better decisions about irrigation, reduce water waste, and find areas where farming can be expanded with less water loss. The method used in this study can also be applied to other dry regions worldwide to improve water management.
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Original Abstract : Egypt faces acute water scarcity, posing a critical challenge to its agricultural sector, which consumes approximately 85% of the nation’s water resources. This challenge is compounded by the government's horizontal agricultural expansion strategy to meet the demands of rapid population growth. To support sustainable water resource management, this study integrates GIS with the FAO Penman-Monteith equation to calculate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) across Egypt using high-resolution climate data (1970–2000) from over 10,000 spatial points. By leveraging remote sensing and advanced spatial interpolation techniques, the study generates monthly ETo maps, providing precise insights into the spatial and temporal variability of ETo. The results reveal significant seasonal trends: the highest mean ETo value (9.5 mm/day) occurs in June, while the lowest (3.28 mm/day) is observed in December. A clear north-to-south gradient in ETo values is identified, influenced by temperature and solar radiation, with the Red Sea Coast exhibiting lower ETo due to higher humidity levels. These findings hold practical implications for sustainable agricultural planning and water conservation. Policymakers can use high-resolution ETo maps to optimize irrigation schedules, reduce water wastage, and identify low-evapotranspiration zones suitable for agricultural expansion. This scalable methodology, incorporating remote sensing for enhanced data collection, offers a robust framework for addressing water management challenges in Egypt and other arid regions globally.
View Book: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/erpra/v4/4303
#Reference_evapotranspiration #FAO_penman_monteith #Egypt #GIS #Eto #remote_sensing