MONITORING COASTAL CHANGES IN THE NILE DELTA OF EGYPT USING SAR INTERFEROMETRY

Coastal erosion is a major geomorphic problem in the Nile River Delta. The impact of this problem is heightened by the economic, social and historical importance of the delta to Egypt. The dynamic nature of the coastline demands regular, accurate identification and measurement of areas of erosion and accretion. Segments of the coast experiencing erosion and accretion were detected in the period from 1993 to 2000 at Damietta Promontory in the eastern part of the delta using SAR interferometry. The average rates of erosion and accretion were -11.64 m yr^-1 and +5.12 m yr^-1, respectively. Whereas current techniques used to monitor coastal changes in the delta are point measurements and, thus, provide a spatially limited view of the ongoing coastal changes, radar interferometry can provide subtle measurements of coastal changes at a significantly improved spatial resolution (~12.5 m) and over large areas (100 km²). Using data collected by the ERS satellites, resampling can be accomplished as frequently as every 35 days, the orbital period of the satellites. Accurate measures of coastal changes are a major concern for coastal zone management and can provide decision-makers with valuable information for integrated sustainable development of the Nile River Delta.