Impact Assessment of Human Activities on Coastal Zones of Eastern Saudi Arabia Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Techniques

The objective of this study is to survey natural resources and to assess environmental changes induced by human activities (industrial, socio-economic, and recreational) and the associated impacts on Manifah and Tanagib coastal zones in eastern Saudi Arabia. A review of the relevant literature was carried out at both the local and regional levels, in order to define the characteristics of the coastal zones and their vulnerability to pollution and environmental stress. To achieve the main objective of this study, the scientific techniques of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), along with a field survey were used to gather data, investigate, assess and determine the main environmental problems and trends associated with development activities over time. In order to develop an environmental database including land use changes, existing data and field observations, the multi-temporal study was based on two sets of satellite imagery, Landsat-TM of 1991 and 2000. Furthermore, environmental impacts of the human activities were assessed using Leopold Matrix method. The land use changes occurring during the last nine years in the study area indicate that the coastal zones of Manifah and Tanagib were experiencing many environmental problems, due mainly to the following factors: • Persistence of Oil spill area (which has affected the study area in 1991). • Decrease of Sabkha area and Salt Marsh area. • Increase of sea waters and sand areas. • Degradation of the coastal biodiversity due to various activities including land-based, as well as marine-based sources. Similarly, the application of Leopold Matrix indicates that oil spills were the main source of pollution, followed by municipal and industrial solid waste, construction sites, oil pipelines, airport location, and land filling and coastal reclamation.