Assessment of Wetland Dynamics Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques: A Case Study of Sabkhat Tawergha

Abstract

Digital data obtained from satellites plays a pivotal role in understanding the nature of terrain and monitoring environmental changes, especially in coastal wetlands. Using this data, various maps can be produced to analyze and track environmental shifts over long periods. As a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Libya is home to several such sites, with the Tawergha Sebkha standing out as a location of major ecological significance. This sebkha is characterized by its biodiversity and serves as a vital resting point for migratory and endangered birds.

However, shifting land-use patterns have increased environmental pressure on the sebkha, leading to a gradual reduction in its area. Therefore, this study employed Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to monitor environmental changes in the region. The analysis relied on five satellite images from the Landsat satellite (versions 5 and 8) for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2024, which were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These images were processed and analyzed using the ArcGIS 10.8 software.

The results showed that the sebkha's area significantly decreased from 885.1 km² in 1990 to 737.363 km² in 2024. The total reduction over this period was 147.737 km², reflecting a substantial loss caused by increasing environmental pressures such as climate change and human activities, including land reclamation, dredging, urban expansion, and the conversion of some areas into waste dumps.