Biological Systems Engineering, Department of

 

First Advisor

Aaron Mittelstet

Second Advisor

Derek Heeren

Committee Members

Derek Heeren, Ran Wang, Saleh Taghvaeian

Date of this Version

7-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Major: Mechanized Systems Management

Under the supervision of Professor Aaron Mittelstet

Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2024

Comments

Copyright 2024, Moaz Ishag. Used by permission

Abstract

The agriculture sector is a significant consumer of water, and sustainable water use begins with monitoring irrigated land. Delineating irrigated land supports decision-makers and promotes the sustainable use of this crucial resource. This study focuses on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS), the largest aquifers in the world, which spans Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Chad. The study aims to: 1) quantify the increase in irrigated hectares (both pivot and non-pivot) from 2000-2001 to 2023-2024; 2) identify major irrigated crop types and their water requirements; and 3) quantify groundwater crop water use from the NSAS using remote sensing via the Google Earth Engine platform and the Random Forest machine learning algorithm. The findings indicate that irrigated areas fluctuate over time, but the overall irrigated area under the NSAS has increased. The total irrigated area expanded from 14,635 km² in 2000-2001 to 24,811 km² in 2023-2024, while the area irrigated directly from the NSAS grew from 1,257 km² to 3,268 km² over the same period. Correspondingly, crops water use from the NSAS increased from 1.4 km³ in 2000-2001 to 3.64 km³ in 2023-2024. These results have important implications for water and land use, and policymakers in NSAS to ensure the sustainable use of these vital resources for the present and future generations.

Advisor: Moaz Ishag

Download

Share

COinS