Assessment of the Impact of Anthropogenic Evolution and Natural Processes on Shoreline Dynamics Using Multi-Temporal Satellite Images and Statistical Analysis

Abstract

This research aims to examine changes in the eastern part of Qatar’s shoreline from 1982 to 2018 by means of satellite imagery. Five different time periods, namely 1982, 1992, 2002, 2013, and 2018, were analysed to determine shoreline movements and shoreline variations. Techniques such as maximum likelihood classification, the normalised difference vegetation index, and tasselled cap transformation were utilised to extract the shoreline data. Linear regression rate statistics were used to quantify the rate of shoreline variations. The results indicate that the majority of shoreline accretion is a result of human activities such as coastal construction, land reclamation, and building artificial islands, which are associated with the high economic activity over the past two decades. Significant changes were observed in Lusail City, The Pearl, and Hamad International Airport (HIA). Natural sediment accumulation was also observed in Al Wakra and on the southern side of HIA. In general, there were more land gains than losses throughout the study period, and the shoreline increased by twice its previous length. The field survey confirmed the presence of sandy and rocky beaches, as well as a shoreline with protective structures such as natural limestone rocks and concrete reinforcement.