Geografie 2024, 129, 233-263
The status of artificial wetland areas in light of climate change using Geospatial systems: Case study Ain Zada Lake (Algeria)
, Djamel Khoudour2, Amna Belayadi3, Semara Lounis1
1University Mohamed El Bachir El Ibrahimi of Bordj Bou Arreridj El-Anasser, Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences and of Earth and Universe Sciences, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Health and Environment Laboratory, Algeria
2University of Msila, Faculty of Sciences, Departement of Nature and Life Sciences, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biotechnological Techniques for the Valuation of Plant Resources, M’Sila, Algeria
3University Mohamed El Bachir El Ibrahimi of Bordj Bou Arreridj El-Anasser, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Health and Environment Laboratory, Algeria
Received February 2024
Accepted September 2024
Climate patterns in North Africa, specifically the southern Mediterranean, have changed considerably due to global climate change. As a result, a major environmental problem has emerged: the deterioration of wetlands and associated ecosystems, which are protected under the Ramsar Convention. This study examines the state of an artificial wetland, notably the reservoir formed by the Ain Zada Dam in northeastern Algeria, from 2001 to 2021. RS, GIS, and GEE were used to analyse indices and satellite images. The study found that the reservoir’s water storage decreased significantly, from 10.5 million m3 in 2001 to 2.4 million m3 in 2021. This finding is entirely consistent with the NDWI index, which was generated from an analysis of 151 satellite images. The drop in water storage has had an extensive effect on the reservoir’s ecosystem. That decline is linked to changes in the region’s environment over the last 40 years, which has been characterized by lower water levels and higher temperatures, providing additional evidence of global warming.
Keywords
artificial wetlands, semi-arid region, climate change, geospatial systems, Ain Zada Lake dam.
