Modeling the distribution of coastal sand dunes in western Saudi Arabia between Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah regions.

Abstract

This study addresses the environmental challenges posed by the extensive coastal sand dunes in the western region of Saudi Arabia, which inflict damage on structures, roads, and urban areas. Specifically, a methodology is proposed for modeling the distribution of sand dunes along the coast between the Makkah and Al-Madinah regions. The objective is to predict the movement of these sand dunes in response to geographic and climatic changes. To achieve this goal, data were collected from various sources, including monitoring techniques and geographic information systems (GIS) databases. Historical data related to controlling factors such as altitude, rainfall, wind direction and speed, as well as land use and cover, were extracted using diverse techniques and methods. The MaxEnt model was implemented as a machine learning technique to predict the distribution of potential sand dunes movements, while assessing environmental impact factors. The resultant map of sand dune movement indicates that wind speed is the most significant controlling factor of sand dunes movement, with precipitation being the least influential factor in the study area.

Keywords

Climatic factors; Sand dunes; MaxEnt modeling; GIS; Environmental changes.

How to Cite

Daoudi, P. & Bensalma, F. (2024). Modeling the distribution of coastal sand dunes in western Saudi Arabia for environ-mental decision-making.. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Social Sciences, Vol16(4), pp85-92. https://doi.org/10.54940/ss28052076

License

Copyright (c) 2023. This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC)