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Titre : ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL HAZARDS IMPACT ON HERITAGE SITES IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

Auteur : AlYammahi, Abdulla Salem Ahmed Saeed

Université de soutenance : United Arab Emirates University

Grade : Master of Science (MS) 2022

Résumé
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) pays significant attention to preserving its heritage sites and archaeological finds and treats them as a vital part of its culture, history, and economy. In recent years, the field of archaeology in the UAE has witnessed tangible and significant developments, with many government initiatives being devoted to establishing archaeological departments in all emirates. The firmly stated policy of these institutions is to preserve the UAE heritage sites and educate the public about their importance. However, these sites are vulnerable to natural hazards, considered one of the most critical threats to the UAE heritage sites. In this regard, it should be noted that in the past two decades, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed a number of natural hazards, such as earthquakes and floods linked to precipitation, rising sea levels, and sand encroachment. This study aims to create a database for the UAE heritage sites, generate maps for natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, sea-level rise, and sand encroachment), and assess the proximity of heritage sites to hazard zones. The results show that heritage sites located in the north-eastern UAE are more vulnerable to floods, earthquakes, and sea-level rise and that the effects of these risks vary according to their geographical locations, i.e., whether they are close to or far from the coast and whether they are near or far from the fault line, as well as the extent of their height from ground level. The study also finds that sand encroachment threatens most archaeological sites in the western region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. As additional support to assess the results of the spatial analysis, the study used the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS), as well as the Analytical Hierarchy Method (AHP). Archaeologists from the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi were consulted to identify the most natural hazards that may affect heritage sites in Abu Dhabi.

In a concise questionnaire, the archaeologists were explicitly asked to set a certain weight for each natural factor. It should be noted that the AHP study was limited to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi due to the lack of necessary information from other emirates of the UAE. The results of the AHP indicated that flooding due to rain is the primary threat to heritage sites in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, followed by sand encroachment and rising sea levels. Sand encroachment is often considered a threat to heritage sites. However, apart from the areas such as castles, forts, and mosques - to which sand encroachment is one of the biggest threats - archaeologists believe that the encroachment of and burial of archaeological sites by desert sands protect them from other natural factors. This study, along with the database, methodology, and outputs, is intended to be a valuable reference for many parties interested in the cultural, historical, and tourism fields, as well as those interested in natural disaster management and urban planning. Furthermore, the GIS database of heritage sites in the UAE saves researchers in antiquities in real-time and effort regarding data collection. In a nutshell, the author of this study believes that it is essential and must be of interest to all stakeholders.

Présentation

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