The Use of Remote Sensing to Monitor Environmental Changes and Their Impact on Desert Tourism in the City of Ghat

Abstract

This study examines the use of remote sensing techniques to monitor environmental changes in the city of Ghat, in the extreme southwest of Libya, and their impact on desert tourism in the region, particularly around the Akakus Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It aims to build an integrated environmental-tourism geodatabase, analyze the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to monitor desertification around the oasis, and study the encroachment of sand dunes and its effect on tourist routes and activities. The study relied on a descriptive-analytical spatio-environmental approach that combines quantitative satellite data analysis with qualitative field assessment through a questionnaire and interviews with residents, visitors, and guides. The findings show a continuous decline in vegetation cover around the oasis over the past decade and a half, and active eastward dune encroachment toward roads and the oasis edges, while the rocky archaeological sites, such as the Tanzoufet engravings, are less affected by desertification but face erosion challenges and direct human impact. The study concludes with environmental, touristic, and research recommendations to protect the sustainability of this natural and heritage site.