Desert habitats

A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to the processes of denudation. About one-third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions, where little precipitation occurs, and which are sometimes called polar deserts or "cold deserts". 

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Local Perspectives Case Studies

Water security: A tracking and quantifying methodology for monitoring water resources in a water scarce region

Water security: A tracking and quantifying methodology for monitoring water resources in a water scarce region

Map of Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain has an arid to semi-arid climate with minimal rainfall amount per year. The rapid increase in urbanization and population growth has placed a huge demand on water resources. The only natural resources available in the country and what has been relied on historically for water usage are spring waters and ground water, which are quickly being depleted due to the increasing demands on water needs. Due to the limits of groundwater and spring waters, they are now majorly complemented with non-conventional water resources to supply the country’s needs. The country has invested heavily in water desalination plants of sea water to meet domestic needs and tertiary sewage treatment plants for municipal and agricultural uses through water and treated wastewater networks.
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The extraction of information on groundwater for a geographically small, water-scarce and groundwater reliant region

Space-based Solution

Identification of potential locations/recharge for shallow groundwater in geographically small countries - mapping completed - need in situ data

Identification of potential locations/recharge for shallow groundwater in geographically small countries - mapping completed - need in situ data

Map of potential shallow groundwater locations or recharge areas in Bahrain

Solution summary

To address the challenge of water security in Bahrain, this solution integrates space-based technologies and geospatial analysis to identify and monitor potential water resources, particularly shallow groundwater. The methodology involves the use of satellite-derived datasets and terrain modelling tools to analyse hydrological behaviour, soil moisture, and elevation-based drainage characteristics.

Three main data sources were incorporated into the solution:

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