Enhancing Vegetation Cover in Fujairah through Sustainable Honey Tree Plantations and Water Harvesting Technique: A Multi-Criteria Suitability Mapping
- 1Fujairah Research Center, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
- 2International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- 3International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Amman, Jordan
- 4Fujairah Environment Authority, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
The emirate of Fujairah, spanning approximately 1,450 km², is characterised by a landscape dominated by rugged mountains, encompassing 77% of its total surface area. Despite its average precipitation of less than 150 mm, Fujairah hosts a thriving ecosystem supported by national tree plantations, including Acacia nilotica, Acacia tortilis, Prosopis cineraria, and Zizyphus spina-christi. These plantations are crucial in providing ecosystem services, notably contributing to honey bee production.
This study attempts to support the increase of vegetation cover in Fujairah through sustainable land management practices of using water harvesting and planting native trees by employing cutting-edge technology. Through the integration of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS)-driven Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE), the research identifies optimal areas for planting native honey trees. Emphasising sustainability, the methodology incorporates water harvesting techniques that eliminate reliance on traditional irrigation methods for plantation.
Local and international datasets encompassing biophysical parameters such as land use, digital elevation models, slope, topographic wetness index, soil texture, and climate data are combined. Additionally, the study considers optimal ecological conditions for native trees, including temperature and soil pH. The resulting suitability maps, treated as future land cover maps, are employed alongside soil sample data to estimate carbon storage and sequestration potential.
Furthermore, the research investigates indigenous water harvesting knowledge in Fujairah through a comprehensive survey. This survey explores community awareness, historical context, current applications, technical specifics of water harvesting and native tree plantation practices, environmental considerations, and potential obstacles and solutions.
The findings aim to inform a holistic approach to sustainably enhancing Fujairah's vegetation cover, providing valuable insights for environmental conservation and community engagement.
Keywords: Suitability mapping, water harvesting techniques, Sustainable land management, and Ecosystem Services
How to cite: Belaid, Y., Worqlul, A., Haddad, M., Al Moalla, A., and Lamghari Ridouane, F.: Enhancing Vegetation Cover in Fujairah through Sustainable Honey Tree Plantations and Water Harvesting Technique: A Multi-Criteria Suitability Mapping, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20020, 2024.
