Geo-Environmental Assessment and Landuse Planning for Coastal Plains

Preparing new areas for development requires intensive geo-environmental assessment and precise planning. Integration of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), along with ground investigation, can provide critical information needed for environmental assessment and landuse planning. The aim of this work is to provide geospatial data and analysis results that can guide planners and decision makers who are interested in establishing development activities in promising coastal plains. One of the main risks that may affect the development projects in the area is the flash flood potential. Consequently, the hydrologic setting was delineated and a flash flood index map was created that shows the areas that may be subjected to flash flood threats. The coastline also was evaluated environmentally in two ways: 1) its susceptibility to sand encroachment due to wind-transported sand and; 2) its sensitivity to oil spills. Three GIS models were created to evaluate the suitability of the study area for landuse development dependent upon the main environmental and physical factors and conditions that may influence the suggested landuse development activities.