Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 13
Remote Sensing of Desert Cities in Developing
Countries
Mohamed Ait Belaid
This chapter focuses on remote sensing (RS) of desert cities, with a special focus on
the developing countries context. It introduces the reader to the characteristics of urban
areas in the desert environment, and discusses the potential of satellite imagery and
how they are used to map and monitor changes in these areas over space and time.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:
Distinguish the unique character of urban areas in desert
environments
Articulate thorough examples of how urban areas can be mapped
using remotely sensed data
Discuss a range of applied change detection and modeling
techniques used in urban areas monitoring
13.1
Urban Areas in Desert Environment
Urban areas in desert cities are characterized by many constraints and problems,
primarily desertification, climate change, drought, urbanization, sand dune formation,
water scarcity, pollution, vegetation degradation, land management, waste manage-
ment, wind and water erosion, demographic explosion and immigration. This section
discusses the characteristics of urban areas particularly the desertification phenome-
non and its impact on desert cities in Africa and West Asia. We will also review how
remote sensing is used to tackle desertification related issues in these cities.
M. Ait Belaid (
*
)
College of Graduate Studies, Arabian Gulf University, P.O. Box 26671,
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
e-mail: belaid@agu.edu.bh
