Geochemical Approaches to Combating Desertification and Enhancing Sustainable Development in Libya
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Benghazi University, Libya
- 2Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya
- 3Mechanical and Renewable Energy Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Wadi Alshatti University, Brack, Libya
- 4Department of Environmental Sciences, faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Wadi Alshatti University, Brack, Libya
Abstract
One of Libya's biggest environmental problems is desertification, which is caused by the country's arid and semi-arid climate, low rainfall, high temperatures and evaporation, drought, groundwater depletion, soil salinization, wind erosion, vegetation degradation, and unsustainable land-use practices. The potential of geochemical methods for comprehending, tracking, and preventing desertification as well as promoting sustainable development in Libya is assessed in this study. In order to examine climatic and environmental changes from 2000 to 2025 and their implications for future desertification, the study combines geochemical examination of soil and groundwater with satellite remote sensing and spatial analysis. Temperature, rainfall, and vegetation-cover variations were investigated using MODIS Terra land surface temperature (LST), NASA GPM IMERG precipitation, and Landsat data. With average July LST rising from roughly 29.6°C in 2000 to 34.3°C in 2025 and yearly rainfall falling from 98.6 to 55.2 mm, the results show a significant warming trend. Additionally, there is a general decrease in vegetation cover, especially in inland agricultural areas, oasis systems, and portions of mountainous and coastal regions. By 2050, almost 80% of Libya's geographical area might undergo high to intense desertification, according to a business-as-usual forecast. For evaluating soil fertility, salinity, nutrient availability, pollutant movement, groundwater quality, water–rock interactions, and seawater intrusion, geochemical techniques offer useful instruments. As a foundation for sustainable land and water management, the study highlights the combination of geochemistry, remote sensing, GIS, sophisticated analytical technologies, isotopic techniques, and data science.
Related
- Sustainable Chemical Approaches for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization
- Comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis of sustainable approaches for textile wastewater treatment
- Heavy metal contamination in groundwater: sources and sustainable remediation approaches: a review.
- Multi-Faceted Assessment of Liquid Chromatographic Methods for the Analysis of Sulfonamides in Environmental Waters (2020-2026): Towards Greener and More Sustainable Approaches.
- Circular Economy Approaches for Sustainable Waste Management: A Review on Integration of AI, Advanced Technologies and Policy Recommendations
BibTeX
@article{shaltami2026geochemical,
title = {{Geochemical Approaches to Combating Desertification and Enhancing Sustainable Development in Libya}},
author = {Osama Rahil Shaltami and Mustafa Ben Hkoma and Kamal Almahdi and Firas Mohammed and سالم, منصور and Yasser Nassar and Mansour Salem},
journal = {Wadi Alshatti University Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.63318/waujpasv4i2_19},
url = {https://waujpas.com/index.php/journal/article/view/492},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Geochemical Approaches to Combating Desertification and Enhancing Sustainable Development in Libya
AU - Osama Rahil Shaltami
AU - Mustafa Ben Hkoma
AU - Kamal Almahdi
AU - Firas Mohammed
AU - سالم, منصور
AU - Yasser Nassar
AU - Mansour Salem
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Wadi Alshatti University Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences
DO - 10.63318/waujpasv4i2_19
UR - https://waujpas.com/index.php/journal/article/view/492
AB - One of Libya's biggest environmental problems is desertification, which is caused by the country's arid and semi-arid climate, low rainfall, high temperatures and evaporation, drought, groundwater depletion, soil salinization, wind erosion, vegetation degradation, and unsustainable land-use practices. The potential of geochemical methods for comprehending, tracking, and preventing desertification as well as promoting sustainable development in Libya is assessed in this study. In order to examine climatic and environmental changes from 2000 to 2025 and their implications for future desertification, the study combines geochemical examination of soil and groundwater with satellite remote sensing and spatial analysis. Temperature, rainfall, and vegetation-cover variations were investigated using MODIS Terra land surface temperature (LST), NASA GPM IMERG precipitation, and Landsat data. With average July LST rising from roughly 29.6°C in 2000 to 34.3°C in 2025 and yearly rainfall falling from 98.6 to 55.2 mm, the results show a significant warming trend. Additionally, there is a general decrease in vegetation cover, especially in inland agricultural areas, oasis systems, and portions of mountainous and coastal regions. By 2050, almost 80% of Libya's geographical area might undergo high to intense desertification, according to a business-as-usual forecast. For evaluating soil fertility, salinity, nutrient availability, pollutant movement, groundwater quality, water–rock interactions, and seawater intrusion, geochemical techniques offer useful instruments. As a foundation for sustainable land and water management, the study highlights the combination of geochemistry, remote sensing, GIS, sophisticated analytical technologies, isotopic techniques, and data science.
SN - 3006-0877
ER -