Journal of Social Transformation and Regional Development
This research seeks to identify the land use dynamic phenomenon in the unplanned settlements in G... more This research seeks to identify the land use dynamic phenomenon in the unplanned settlements in Greater Cairo Metropolitan region (GMCR) which embodied in the alternative use of space (AUS). This phenomenon represents the way for the poor communities to meet their needs of space for living, working, and entertainment purposes for free or for low costs. It is considered the first research which included clarification for this phenomenon although the main role of AUS to meet the poor communities needs of lands in GCMR. By field survey and direct interviews with users and surrounding residents we have identified AUS types, times of use and Frequency for each type in addition to impacts of it on the prices of essential needs. Based on the goals of urban sustainability we have identified positive and negative aspects of AUS on our case study district. AUS provide lands for various needs of essential activities in free or low-cost rent which reduced the price of essential needs to 13 time...
Urban sewer system management is challenging due to its higher vulnerability to flooding caused b... more Urban sewer system management is challenging due to its higher vulnerability to flooding caused by rapid urbanization and climate change. For local decision-makers, storm water management is essential for urban planning and development. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop a numerical model for the sewerage network of the central catchment area of Algiers since it has experienced frequent overflows during the winter season. For this purpose, to model the sewerage networks, the model was built by coupling ArcGIS with MIKE URBAN. Its calibration and validation were performed using real-time measurements with a time step of 15 min. The model was evaluated by several statistical indicators, such as the coefficient of determination (R2), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and percent bias (PBIAS). The model results showed acceptable model performance, with an NSE superior to 0.50, R2 of approximately 0.63, RMSE of 7%, and PBIAS of 10% dur...
Recently, various infectious diseases have emerged, some of which have evolved into world-threate... more Recently, various infectious diseases have emerged, some of which have evolved into world-threatening pandemic outbreaks. Since December 2019, the disastrous COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide, claiming many human lives, and dragging the global economy to a standstill with a dramatic recession. Among the ramifications are the transformations of commercial activity because of the prejudicial impact of the lockdown: a shift of sales channels towards online alternatives, accompanied by procedures for temporary closures or a move into the periphery regions with low operational expenses. Our research has significantly identified the influence of the characteristics of commercial uses on human behavioral changes in two Egyptian cities, namely the 6th of October and Sheikh Zayed, as a case study, in achieving self-sufficiency for residents during devastating outbreaks. Depending on geospatial software, descriptive geostatistical analysis, and semi-structured interviews, the study found ...
Under rapid urbanization-induced global warming and resource depletion, growing interest in zero-... more Under rapid urbanization-induced global warming and resource depletion, growing interest in zero-energy building (ZEB) and zero-emission building (ZEB) technologies have emerged globally to improve energy performance in homes and shape sustainable cities. Although several countries have released ZEB-enhanced strategies and set national standards and policies to promote ZEBs, construction projects are still limited to demonstration projects. This paper reviews global ZEB activities and state-of-the-art technologies for energy-efficient residential building technologies [based on an evaluation of 40 residential buildings]. Over 40 residential buildings on different continents were reviewed, and their technical details and performance were evaluated. Our results show that 62.5% of the buildings achieved the +ZEB standard, 25% of the buildings were net-zero energy buildings, and only 12.5% of the buildings were near-zero energy buildings. Solar PV is the most widely used renewable energ...
Several cities are exceptionally vulnerable to flood impacts due to increasing urbanization, popu... more Several cities are exceptionally vulnerable to flood impacts due to increasing urbanization, population growth, and climate change. Quantifying flood vulnerability is useful for identifying the system’s weakness, monitoring its evolution, and supporting targeted flood risk adaptation policies. One of the vital aims of assessing urban flood vulnerability is to create an understandable link between flood vulnerability conceptual theories and the daily decision-making process through an easily accessible tool. Although several studies have described the development of an integrated flood vulnerability index (FVI) combining physical, social, and economic dimensions in urban areas, this index has not been assessed in developing countries. Therefore, this study focuses on an integrated indicator-based approach to develop an urban FVI based on exposure, susceptibility, and resilience to urban flooding at the neighbourhood scale. To evaluate the flood vulnerability of the population, we used the Improvement of Vulnerability Assessment in Europe (MOVE) framework. Accordingly, the vulnerability indices cover exposure, susceptibility and resilience aspects. The index is applied to Alexandria, one of the most important coastal cities of Egypt, which is highly vulnerable due to its dense population, low adaptive capacity, flat topography, and exposure to various water-related disasters, such as cyclones, storm surges, bank erosion, sea-level rise, tidal floods, and frequent urban floods. In this study, we use inductive principal component analysis (PCA) to develop a composite indicator for the FVI and to evaluate the vulnerability of 101 census administrative units (sheyakhahs) in Alexandria. We apply the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity to assess sample adequacy and perform data standardization for all indicators. Furthermore, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is adopted for simplicity and comparison with the PCA results to assess their robustness. We clustered 58 and 13 flood vulnerability-related indicators into three major dimensions, i.e., physical, social, and economic, through PCA and the AHP, respectively. Official collected data are analysed using combined methods using advanced statistical analysis (SPSS) software and a geographic information system (GIS). The findings highlight the variability in flood vulnerability across highly urbanized and suburban areas. Based on the PCA, 38 indicators were defined as the most comprehensive flood vulnerability assessment (FVA) used in Egyptian cities. Additionally, due to reliability of the approach to indicator selection and the weighting process, the chosen 13 indicators for the AHP analysis yielded similar results. This research provides spatial planners and decision-makers with an integrated, comprehensive, and unified urban FVI to assess vulnerability and, thus, improve flood resilience in Egypt and countries in similar situations.
This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flo... more This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flood risks (FRs) that occur in their cities as follows: (1) what is the impact of flooding on urban areas?, (2) what effect does urbanization have on FR?, (3) what are the existing nonstructural and structural mitigation measures for urban flooding?, and (4) What is the role of urban planning and landscape tools in flood risk reduction (FRR) for cities as well as their inhabitants?. The main messages in this chapter could be summarized as follows: (1) Comprehension of both the sources and types of flooding is vital if proper FRR measures are to be determined, (2) Unplanned urban growth could seriously put lives and properties at high risk (3) Land use planning and regulation, and Sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management through landscape architecture are fundamental measures for future FRR (4) The application of the urban planning approach for FRR in arid and semiarid regions has not yet received adequate attention and facing many challenges for its implementation, and finally (5) the combination of structural and nonstructural mitigation measures in spatial planning could be much more effective than using one type of measure alone.
When a high need for new residences coincides with an insufficient area of obtainable land within... more When a high need for new residences coincides with an insufficient area of obtainable land within cities, urban sprawl occurs. Although densification is a well-known policy for controlling urban sprawl, one of the main challenges faced by researchers is that of determining urban densification potentials and priorities at the city scale. This paper aims to establish a methodology to facilitate decision-making regarding urban densification using five different methods. The proposed methodology utilizes high-quality city strategic plans (CSPs) and urban regulation documents and adopts geographic information systems (GISs) to determine and map the potential areas for densification. Multiple sustainability parameters, including environmental, economic, and social parameters, are selected, and weighted using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritize the densification sites. The proposed method is tested in Tanta, Egypt, which has suffered due to agricultural losses of approximat...
Flood risk mapping forms the basis for disaster risk management and the associated decision-makin... more Flood risk mapping forms the basis for disaster risk management and the associated decision-making systems. The effectiveness of this process is highly dependent on the quality of the input data of both hazard and vulnerability maps and the method utilized. On the one hand, for higher-quality hazard maps, the use of 2D models is generally suggested. However, in ungauged regions, such usage becomes a difficult task, especially at the microscale. On the other hand, vulnerability mapping at the microscale suffers limitations as a result of the failure to consider vulnerability components, the low spatial resolution of the input data, and the omission of urban planning aspects that have crucial impacts on the resulting quality. This paper aims to enhance the quality of both hazard and vulnerability maps at the urban microscale in ungauged regions. The proposed methodology integrates remote sensing data and high-quality city strategic plans (CSPs) using geographic information systems (GI...
Urban growth, extreme climate, and mismanagement are crucial controlling factors that affect floo... more Urban growth, extreme climate, and mismanagement are crucial controlling factors that affect flood vulnerability at wadi catchments. Therefore, this study attempts to understand the impacts of these three factors on the flash flood vulnerability in different climatic regions in Egypt. An integrated approach is presented to evaluate the urban growth from 1984 to 2019 by using Google Images and SENTINEL-2 data, and to develop hazard maps by using a rainfall-runoff-inundation model (RRI). Annual rainfall trend analysis was performed to evaluate the temporal variability trend. The hazard maps that were created were classified into three categories (low, medium, and high) and integrated with the urban growth maps to evaluate the impacts on the flood-vulnerable areas. The results show a significant increase in urban growth resulting in an increase of prone areas for flood hazards over time. However, the degree of this hazard is mainly related to growth directions. Mismanagement affects ur...
Natural Disaster Science and Mitigation Engineering: DPRI reports
This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the floo... more This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flood risks (FRs) that occur in their cities as follows: (1) What is the impact of flooding on urban areas? (2) what effect does urbanization have on FR? (3) What are the existing nonstructural and structural mitigation measures for urban flooding? and (4) What is the role of urban planning and landscape tools in flood risk reduction (FRR) for cities as well as their inhabitants? The main messages in this chapter could be summarized as follows: (1) Comprehension of both the sources and types of flooding is vital if proper FRR measures are to be determined, (2) Unplanned urban growth could seriously put lives and properties at high risk (3) Land use planning and regulation, and Sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management through landscape architecture are fundamental measures for future FRR (4) The application of the urban planning approach for FRR in arid and semiarid regions has no...
Journal of Social Transformation and Regional Development
This research seeks to identify the land use dynamic phenomenon in the unplanned settlements in G... more This research seeks to identify the land use dynamic phenomenon in the unplanned settlements in Greater Cairo Metropolitan region (GMCR) which embodied in the alternative use of space (AUS). This phenomenon represents the way for the poor communities to meet their needs of space for living, working, and entertainment purposes for free or for low costs. It is considered the first research which included clarification for this phenomenon although the main role of AUS to meet the poor communities needs of lands in GCMR. By field survey and direct interviews with users and surrounding residents we have identified AUS types, times of use and Frequency for each type in addition to impacts of it on the prices of essential needs. Based on the goals of urban sustainability we have identified positive and negative aspects of AUS on our case study district. AUS provide lands for various needs of essential activities in free or low-cost rent which reduced the price of essential needs to 13 time...
Urban sewer system management is challenging due to its higher vulnerability to flooding caused b... more Urban sewer system management is challenging due to its higher vulnerability to flooding caused by rapid urbanization and climate change. For local decision-makers, storm water management is essential for urban planning and development. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop a numerical model for the sewerage network of the central catchment area of Algiers since it has experienced frequent overflows during the winter season. For this purpose, to model the sewerage networks, the model was built by coupling ArcGIS with MIKE URBAN. Its calibration and validation were performed using real-time measurements with a time step of 15 min. The model was evaluated by several statistical indicators, such as the coefficient of determination (R2), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and percent bias (PBIAS). The model results showed acceptable model performance, with an NSE superior to 0.50, R2 of approximately 0.63, RMSE of 7%, and PBIAS of 10% dur...
Recently, various infectious diseases have emerged, some of which have evolved into world-threate... more Recently, various infectious diseases have emerged, some of which have evolved into world-threatening pandemic outbreaks. Since December 2019, the disastrous COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide, claiming many human lives, and dragging the global economy to a standstill with a dramatic recession. Among the ramifications are the transformations of commercial activity because of the prejudicial impact of the lockdown: a shift of sales channels towards online alternatives, accompanied by procedures for temporary closures or a move into the periphery regions with low operational expenses. Our research has significantly identified the influence of the characteristics of commercial uses on human behavioral changes in two Egyptian cities, namely the 6th of October and Sheikh Zayed, as a case study, in achieving self-sufficiency for residents during devastating outbreaks. Depending on geospatial software, descriptive geostatistical analysis, and semi-structured interviews, the study found ...
Under rapid urbanization-induced global warming and resource depletion, growing interest in zero-... more Under rapid urbanization-induced global warming and resource depletion, growing interest in zero-energy building (ZEB) and zero-emission building (ZEB) technologies have emerged globally to improve energy performance in homes and shape sustainable cities. Although several countries have released ZEB-enhanced strategies and set national standards and policies to promote ZEBs, construction projects are still limited to demonstration projects. This paper reviews global ZEB activities and state-of-the-art technologies for energy-efficient residential building technologies [based on an evaluation of 40 residential buildings]. Over 40 residential buildings on different continents were reviewed, and their technical details and performance were evaluated. Our results show that 62.5% of the buildings achieved the +ZEB standard, 25% of the buildings were net-zero energy buildings, and only 12.5% of the buildings were near-zero energy buildings. Solar PV is the most widely used renewable energ...
Several cities are exceptionally vulnerable to flood impacts due to increasing urbanization, popu... more Several cities are exceptionally vulnerable to flood impacts due to increasing urbanization, population growth, and climate change. Quantifying flood vulnerability is useful for identifying the system’s weakness, monitoring its evolution, and supporting targeted flood risk adaptation policies. One of the vital aims of assessing urban flood vulnerability is to create an understandable link between flood vulnerability conceptual theories and the daily decision-making process through an easily accessible tool. Although several studies have described the development of an integrated flood vulnerability index (FVI) combining physical, social, and economic dimensions in urban areas, this index has not been assessed in developing countries. Therefore, this study focuses on an integrated indicator-based approach to develop an urban FVI based on exposure, susceptibility, and resilience to urban flooding at the neighbourhood scale. To evaluate the flood vulnerability of the population, we used the Improvement of Vulnerability Assessment in Europe (MOVE) framework. Accordingly, the vulnerability indices cover exposure, susceptibility and resilience aspects. The index is applied to Alexandria, one of the most important coastal cities of Egypt, which is highly vulnerable due to its dense population, low adaptive capacity, flat topography, and exposure to various water-related disasters, such as cyclones, storm surges, bank erosion, sea-level rise, tidal floods, and frequent urban floods. In this study, we use inductive principal component analysis (PCA) to develop a composite indicator for the FVI and to evaluate the vulnerability of 101 census administrative units (sheyakhahs) in Alexandria. We apply the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity to assess sample adequacy and perform data standardization for all indicators. Furthermore, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is adopted for simplicity and comparison with the PCA results to assess their robustness. We clustered 58 and 13 flood vulnerability-related indicators into three major dimensions, i.e., physical, social, and economic, through PCA and the AHP, respectively. Official collected data are analysed using combined methods using advanced statistical analysis (SPSS) software and a geographic information system (GIS). The findings highlight the variability in flood vulnerability across highly urbanized and suburban areas. Based on the PCA, 38 indicators were defined as the most comprehensive flood vulnerability assessment (FVA) used in Egyptian cities. Additionally, due to reliability of the approach to indicator selection and the weighting process, the chosen 13 indicators for the AHP analysis yielded similar results. This research provides spatial planners and decision-makers with an integrated, comprehensive, and unified urban FVI to assess vulnerability and, thus, improve flood resilience in Egypt and countries in similar situations.
This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flo... more This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flood risks (FRs) that occur in their cities as follows: (1) what is the impact of flooding on urban areas?, (2) what effect does urbanization have on FR?, (3) what are the existing nonstructural and structural mitigation measures for urban flooding?, and (4) What is the role of urban planning and landscape tools in flood risk reduction (FRR) for cities as well as their inhabitants?. The main messages in this chapter could be summarized as follows: (1) Comprehension of both the sources and types of flooding is vital if proper FRR measures are to be determined, (2) Unplanned urban growth could seriously put lives and properties at high risk (3) Land use planning and regulation, and Sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management through landscape architecture are fundamental measures for future FRR (4) The application of the urban planning approach for FRR in arid and semiarid regions has not yet received adequate attention and facing many challenges for its implementation, and finally (5) the combination of structural and nonstructural mitigation measures in spatial planning could be much more effective than using one type of measure alone.
When a high need for new residences coincides with an insufficient area of obtainable land within... more When a high need for new residences coincides with an insufficient area of obtainable land within cities, urban sprawl occurs. Although densification is a well-known policy for controlling urban sprawl, one of the main challenges faced by researchers is that of determining urban densification potentials and priorities at the city scale. This paper aims to establish a methodology to facilitate decision-making regarding urban densification using five different methods. The proposed methodology utilizes high-quality city strategic plans (CSPs) and urban regulation documents and adopts geographic information systems (GISs) to determine and map the potential areas for densification. Multiple sustainability parameters, including environmental, economic, and social parameters, are selected, and weighted using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritize the densification sites. The proposed method is tested in Tanta, Egypt, which has suffered due to agricultural losses of approximat...
Flood risk mapping forms the basis for disaster risk management and the associated decision-makin... more Flood risk mapping forms the basis for disaster risk management and the associated decision-making systems. The effectiveness of this process is highly dependent on the quality of the input data of both hazard and vulnerability maps and the method utilized. On the one hand, for higher-quality hazard maps, the use of 2D models is generally suggested. However, in ungauged regions, such usage becomes a difficult task, especially at the microscale. On the other hand, vulnerability mapping at the microscale suffers limitations as a result of the failure to consider vulnerability components, the low spatial resolution of the input data, and the omission of urban planning aspects that have crucial impacts on the resulting quality. This paper aims to enhance the quality of both hazard and vulnerability maps at the urban microscale in ungauged regions. The proposed methodology integrates remote sensing data and high-quality city strategic plans (CSPs) using geographic information systems (GI...
Urban growth, extreme climate, and mismanagement are crucial controlling factors that affect floo... more Urban growth, extreme climate, and mismanagement are crucial controlling factors that affect flood vulnerability at wadi catchments. Therefore, this study attempts to understand the impacts of these three factors on the flash flood vulnerability in different climatic regions in Egypt. An integrated approach is presented to evaluate the urban growth from 1984 to 2019 by using Google Images and SENTINEL-2 data, and to develop hazard maps by using a rainfall-runoff-inundation model (RRI). Annual rainfall trend analysis was performed to evaluate the temporal variability trend. The hazard maps that were created were classified into three categories (low, medium, and high) and integrated with the urban growth maps to evaluate the impacts on the flood-vulnerable areas. The results show a significant increase in urban growth resulting in an increase of prone areas for flood hazards over time. However, the degree of this hazard is mainly related to growth directions. Mismanagement affects ur...
Natural Disaster Science and Mitigation Engineering: DPRI reports
This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the floo... more This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flood risks (FRs) that occur in their cities as follows: (1) What is the impact of flooding on urban areas? (2) what effect does urbanization have on FR? (3) What are the existing nonstructural and structural mitigation measures for urban flooding? and (4) What is the role of urban planning and landscape tools in flood risk reduction (FRR) for cities as well as their inhabitants? The main messages in this chapter could be summarized as follows: (1) Comprehension of both the sources and types of flooding is vital if proper FRR measures are to be determined, (2) Unplanned urban growth could seriously put lives and properties at high risk (3) Land use planning and regulation, and Sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management through landscape architecture are fundamental measures for future FRR (4) The application of the urban planning approach for FRR in arid and semiarid regions has no...
Wadi Flash Floods Challenges and Advanced Approaches for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2021
This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flo... more This chapter highlights some substantial questions inquired by researchers to comprehend the flood risks (FRs) that occur in their cities as follows: (1) what is the impact of flooding on urban areas?, (2) what effect does urbanization have on FR?, (3) what are the existing nonstructural and structural mitigation measures for urban flooding?, and (4) What is the role of urban planning and landscape tools in flood risk reduction (FRR) for cities as well as their inhabitants?. The main messages in this chapter could be summarized as follows: (1) Comprehension of both the sources and types of flooding is vital if proper FRR measures are to be determined, (2) Unplanned urban growth could seriously put lives and properties at high risk (3) Land use planning and regulation, and Sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management through landscape architecture are fundamental measures for future FRR (4) The application of the urban planning approach for FRR in arid and semiarid regions has not yet received adequate attention and facing many challenges for its implementation, and finally (5) the combination of structural and nonstructural mitigation measures in spatial planning could be much more effective than using one type of measure alone.
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Papers by Karim I . Abdrabo
The main messages in this chapter could be summarized as follows: (1) Comprehension of both the sources and types of flooding is vital if proper FRR measures are to be determined, (2) Unplanned urban growth could seriously put lives and properties at high risk (3) Land use planning and regulation, and Sustainable infrastructure for stormwater management through landscape architecture are fundamental measures for future FRR (4) The application of the urban planning approach for FRR in arid and semiarid regions has not yet received adequate attention and facing many challenges for its implementation, and finally (5) the combination of structural and nonstructural mitigation measures in spatial planning could be much more effective than using one type of measure alone.