The status of agricultural lands in Egypt: The use of multitemporal NDVI features derived from Landsat TM

Agricultural production in Egypt is limited by soil salinity and by the encroachment of urban settlements onto previously cultivated lands. In contrast, reclamation efforts in the desert and coastal areas increase the amount of land cultivated In this study, field-calibrated, multitemporal NDVI features derived from 10 Landsat TM images dating from 1984 to 1993 were used to assess the status of agricultural lands in the Nile Delta, and adjacent Western Desert and coastal regions. Four classes central to agricultural planning in the Delta are healthy agricultural lands, fields of reduced productivity, urban settlements, and urban expansion. The results indicate that 3.74% of agricultural land in the Delta has reduced productivity. This quantity is greater than previously realized, indicating a need to incorporate these lands in reclamation planning. The amount of land lost to urbanization, defined as the encroachment of an existing urban settlement onto previously productive agricultural lands, is less than anticipated. Only 0.4% of productive agricultural lands were converted to new urban use between 1984 and 1990. Assessment of reclamation in the Western Desert and coastal areas over six time periods indicates continued high rates of reclamation. Between 1986 and 1993, the amount of cultivated land in these regions increased by 43.3%. The high overall accuracy of the map (95.85%) supports the use of multitemporal features in mapping the status of agricultural lands.