Nile River morphometric analysis using remote sensing: Damietta branch and Sherbine reach, Egypt

The River Nile, a crucial global water body, serves as a cornerstone for Egypt’s irrigation systems and navigational routes, notably through the Damietta branch. This research delves into the significant morphological alterations within the River Nile, attributed to human-induced sedimentation and erosion processes post the construction of the Aswan High Dam. By integrating field data, remote sensing methodologies, and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, the study scrutinizes profound morphological variations in a key Nile tributary at both macro and micro scales. Utilizing Landsat imagery spanning from 1987 to 2015, the research primarily focuses on analyzing the Damietta branch at a large scale and the Sherbine reach at a smaller scale, chosen for their notable changes observable in the Landsat data. Essential morphometric parameters such as the sinuosity index and braiding index were computed to evaluate the watercourse. Furthermore, metrics like surface water area and island coverage within the watercourse were meticulously compared to track changes over time. The findings reveal an increase in the water surface area on both large and small scales, alongside a notable decrease in the area of the studied islands. The study concludes that the Damietta branch displays characteristics of a sinuous watercourse, with a Sinuosity Index (SI) consistently exceeding 1.3 from 1987 to 2015. This is the first remote sensing study quantifying RN morphology changes at Damietta/Sherbine scales, evaluating three classification methods against field data. These findings contribute valuable insights into the dynamic morphological changes of the River Nile, crucial for sustainable development and effective water resource management in the region.