Shifting Deserts and Rising Cities: Assessing Sustainable Landscape Management and Hazard Dynamics in Al-Kawamel Area, Sohag, Egypt, Using Landsat Insights

Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) are crucial indicators to consider when examining various environmental challenges and assessing the sustainability of rapidly transforming landscapes. Land utilization in arid regions results from a diverse range of socioeconomic activities that reshape urban and regional environments. Using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GISs), the authors investigate the evolving and sustainability-sensitive landscape of the Al-Kawamel area, southwest of Sohag City, Egypt. Three time series of Landsat imagery, from 1985, 2005, and 2025, were used to map major LULC categories and evaluate their transformations with respect to elevation and slope. Based on the data analysis, the results reveal substantial shifts over the 40-year period in this low desert zone. During this time, the built-up areas and the agricultural lands expanded from 8 to 64 km2 and from 10 to 131 km2, respectively. Conversely, the desert zone declined from 325 to 148 km2. These essential changes reflect intensified human activities and land reclamation. These rapid shifts increase exposure to natural and man-made hazards, including karstification, sand accumulations, rockfalls, flash floods, problematic soils, heavy metal hazards from wastewater disposal sites, and abandoned pits. Accordingly, suitable remediation methods should be assigned to minimize their impact.