Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation
In September 2024, following two rare storms, Lake Iriqui in southern Morocco experienced a remarkable revival after five decades of desiccation. Historically, the lake played an important role as one of the largest water bodies before the Sahara Desert, serving as a critical stopover in migratory r...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Land |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/104 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588115188908032 |
|---|---|
| author | Adil Moumane Tarik Bahouq Ahmed Karmaoui Dahmane Laghfiri Mohamed Yassine Jamal Al Karkouri Mouhcine Batchi Mustapha Faouzi Mohamed Boulakhbar Ali Ait Youssef |
| author_facet | Adil Moumane Tarik Bahouq Ahmed Karmaoui Dahmane Laghfiri Mohamed Yassine Jamal Al Karkouri Mouhcine Batchi Mustapha Faouzi Mohamed Boulakhbar Ali Ait Youssef |
| author_sort | Adil Moumane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In September 2024, following two rare storms, Lake Iriqui in southern Morocco experienced a remarkable revival after five decades of desiccation. Historically, the lake played an important role as one of the largest water bodies before the Sahara Desert, serving as a critical stopover in migratory routes for various bird species. Two field missions documented this event: the first confirmed the lake’s reappearance, while the second recorded the resurgence of the ecosystem and the return of migratory birds, last observed in the lake in 1968. The lake’s surface water extent, which had been completely dry, expanded dramatically, reaching over 80 km<sup>2</sup> after the first storm and subsequently increasing to approximately 146 km<sup>2</sup> following the second. This event has drawn considerable attention from international and national media. The revival was monitored using satellite imagery from Landsat 8 and 9 and Sentinel-2A, processed through Google Earth Engine (GEE), with the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) applied to detect water presence. A time-series analysis revealed significant changes in the lake’s surface water extent following the rainfall. This study emphasizes the need for proactive support to preserve Lake Iriqui, aligning with sustainable development goals: SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). These goals highlight the importance of sustainable water resource management, biodiversity conservation, and eco-tourism initiatives to benefit local communities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-24f74ee752fe4fd58d4027f4680b69c5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj-art-24f74ee752fe4fd58d4027f4680b69c52025-01-24T13:37:55ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-01-0114110410.3390/land14010104Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of DesiccationAdil Moumane0Tarik Bahouq1Ahmed Karmaoui2Dahmane Laghfiri3Mohamed Yassine4Jamal Al Karkouri5Mouhcine Batchi6Mustapha Faouzi7Mohamed Boulakhbar8Ali Ait Youssef9Department of Geography, Faculté Des Sciences Humaines Et Sociales, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoDepartment of Geography, Faculté Des Sciences Humaines Et Sociales, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoFaculty of Science and Techniques (Health and Environment Research Team), Errachidia, Moulay Ismail University (UMI), Meknes 50000, MoroccoAssociation les Amis de L’environnement, Zagora 47900, MoroccoCaravane du Sud, Zagora 47900, MoroccoDepartment of Geography, Faculté Des Sciences Humaines Et Sociales, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoDepartment of Geography, Faculté Des Sciences Humaines Et Sociales, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoAgence Nationale pour le Développement des Zones Oasiennes et de l’Arganier (ANDZOA), Zagora 47900, MoroccoAgence Nationale pour le Développement des Zones Oasiennes et de l’Arganier (ANDZOA), Zagora 47900, MoroccoDepartment of Geography, Faculté Des Sciences Humaines Et Sociales, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoIn September 2024, following two rare storms, Lake Iriqui in southern Morocco experienced a remarkable revival after five decades of desiccation. Historically, the lake played an important role as one of the largest water bodies before the Sahara Desert, serving as a critical stopover in migratory routes for various bird species. Two field missions documented this event: the first confirmed the lake’s reappearance, while the second recorded the resurgence of the ecosystem and the return of migratory birds, last observed in the lake in 1968. The lake’s surface water extent, which had been completely dry, expanded dramatically, reaching over 80 km<sup>2</sup> after the first storm and subsequently increasing to approximately 146 km<sup>2</sup> following the second. This event has drawn considerable attention from international and national media. The revival was monitored using satellite imagery from Landsat 8 and 9 and Sentinel-2A, processed through Google Earth Engine (GEE), with the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) applied to detect water presence. A time-series analysis revealed significant changes in the lake’s surface water extent following the rainfall. This study emphasizes the need for proactive support to preserve Lake Iriqui, aligning with sustainable development goals: SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). These goals highlight the importance of sustainable water resource management, biodiversity conservation, and eco-tourism initiatives to benefit local communities.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/104Iriqui LakeSDGGoogle Earth EngineMorocco |
| spellingShingle | Adil Moumane Tarik Bahouq Ahmed Karmaoui Dahmane Laghfiri Mohamed Yassine Jamal Al Karkouri Mouhcine Batchi Mustapha Faouzi Mohamed Boulakhbar Ali Ait Youssef Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation Land Iriqui Lake SDG Google Earth Engine Morocco |
| title | Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation |
| title_full | Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation |
| title_fullStr | Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation |
| title_short | Lake Iriqui’s Remarkable Revival: Field Observations and a Google Earth Engine Analysis of Its Recovery After over Half a Century of Desiccation |
| title_sort | lake iriqui s remarkable revival field observations and a google earth engine analysis of its recovery after over half a century of desiccation |
| topic | Iriqui Lake SDG Google Earth Engine Morocco |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/104 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adilmoumane lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT tarikbahouq lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT ahmedkarmaoui lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT dahmanelaghfiri lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT mohamedyassine lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT jamalalkarkouri lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT mouhcinebatchi lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT mustaphafaouzi lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT mohamedboulakhbar lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation AT aliaityoussef lakeiriquisremarkablerevivalfieldobservationsandagoogleearthengineanalysisofitsrecoveryafteroverhalfacenturyofdesiccation |