Journal of Excellence in Wellness and Environmental Studies

Published date: Oct 20 2025

Journal Title: Journal of Excellence in Wellness and Environmental Studies

Issue title: Journal of Excellence in Wellness and Environmental Studies: Volume 1, Issue 1

Pages: 25 - 45

DOI: 10.18502/jewes.v1i1.18846

Aysha Saif Alkaabi200120845@hbmsu.ac.aeSchool of Sustainability and Green Economy, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Dubai

Mohammad Aljaradinm.aljaradin@hbmsu.ac.aeSchool of Sustainability and Green Economy, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Dubai

Groundwater salinity monitoring is essential for sustainable water resource management, particularly in arid regions like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where freshwater scarcity poses significant challenges. This study evaluates the viability and efficiency of drone-based remote sensing technology for monitoring groundwater salinity across diverse UAE terrains. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature and datasets, we investigate the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with advanced sensors to overcome the limitations of traditional monitoring methods, which often suffer from logistical constraints and limited spatial inconsistency. Our findings reveal increasing groundwater salinity trends, particularly in coastal and agricultural regions, driven by urbanization, industrial activities, and climate change. The integration of drone technology provides notable benefits, including enhanced spatial coverage, cost-effectiveness, and real-time monitoring capabilities. This research provides actionable recommendations for implementing UAV-based monitoring systems within existing water management frameworks, supporting the UAE’s vision for sustainable development and water resource preservation.

Keywords: Groundwater salinity, UAV remote sensing, environmental monitoring, sustainable water management, arid regions, UAE

[1] Abolt, C., Caldwell, T., Wolaver, B., & Pai, H. (2018). Unmanned aerial vehicle-based monitoring of groundwater inputs to surface waters using an economical thermal infrared camera. Optical Engineering (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 57(5), 053113. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.57.5.053113

[2] Acharya, B. S., Bhandari, M., Bandini, F., Pizarro, A., Perks, M., Joshi, D. R., Wang, S., Dogwiler, T., Ray, R. L., Kharel, G., & Sharma, S. (2021). Unmanned aerial vehicles in hydrology and water management: Applications, challenges, and perspectives. Water Resources Research, 57(10). https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR029925

[3] Al-Mulla, M. M. (2011). UAE state of the water report. International Center for Biosaline Agriculture.

[4] Al-Mulla, M. M. (2018). The development of a decision support system for groundwater management: A case study from the United Arab Emirates. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77(12), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7654-5

[5] Al-Rashed, M. F., & Sherif, M. M. (2000). Water resources in the GCC countries: An overview. Water Resources Management, 14(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008127027743

[6] Al-Saidi, M., & Saliba, S. (2019). Water, energy and food supply security in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—A risk perspective. Water (Basel), 11(3), 455. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030455

[7] Almheiri, S., Sheikheldin, G., & Alraeesi, A. (2023). Water security in the United Arab Emirates: Challenges and opportunities. Environmental Development, 45, 100806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2022.100806

[8] Brook, M. C., Al Houqani, H., Darawsha, T., Al Alawneh, M., & Achary, S. (2006). Groundwater resources: Development and management in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In Arid Land Hydrogeology: In Search of a Solution to a Threatened Resource (pp. 15–34). Taylor & Francis.

[9] Brunner, P., Hendricks Franssen, H. J., Kgotlhang, L., Bauer-Gottwein, P., & Kinzelbach, W. (2007). How can remote sensing contribute in groundwater modeling? Hydrogeology Journal, 15(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-006-0127-z

[10] Dabas, M., Tabbagh, A., & Bano, M. (2019). Integration of drone-based thermal imaging with groundbased resistivity measurements for groundwater exploration: A case study in arid regions. Near Surface Geophysics, 17(3), 287–298. https://doi.org/10.1002/nsg.12043

[11] DeBell, L., Anderson, K., Brazier, R. E., King, N., & Jones, L. (2016). Water resource management at catchment scales using lightweight UAVs: Current capabilities and future perspectives. Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, 4(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.1139/juvs-2015-0026

[12] Dubai Municipality. (2020). Groundwater monitoring report 2015-2020. Dubai Municipality.

[13] Echchelh, A., Hess, T., & Sakrabani, R. (2018). Reusing oil and gas produced water for irrigation of food crops in drylands. Agricultural Water Management, 206, 124–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.05.006

[14] Elhag, M., & Bahrawi, J. A. (2017). Soil salinity mapping and hydrological drought indices assessment in arid environments based on remote sensing techniques. Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems, 6(1), 149–158. https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-6-149-2017

[15] Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD). (2018). Groundwater atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate.

[16] Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD). (2021). State of environment report Abu Dhabi 2020. Famiglietti, J. S., Lo, M., Ho, S. L., Bethune, J., Anderson, K. J., Syed, T. H., Swenson, S. C., de Linage, C. R., & Rodell, M. (2015). Satellites measure recent rates of groundwater depletion in California’s Central Valley. Geophysical Research Letters, 38(3), L03403. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL046442

[17] Huang, J., Zheng, F., Wang, P., & Wen, X. (2018). Regional groundwater level monitoring network design using a data-driven hierarchical optimization approach. Journal of Hydrology (Amsterdam), 565, 688–697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.08.083

[18] Jawak, S. D., Kulkarni, K., & Luis, A. J. (2018). A review on extraction of lakes from remotely sensed optical satellite data with a special focus on cryospheric lakes. Advances in Remote Sensing, 4(3), 196–213. https://doi.org/10.4236/ars.2015.43016

[19] Li, X., Zhao, Y., Xiao, W., Yang, M., Shen, Y., & Min, L. (2019). Soil salinity dynamics and its effects on vegetation in Xinjiang, China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 191(9), 573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7736-1

[20] Manfreda, S., McCabe, M. F., Miller, P. E., Lucas, R., Pajuelo Madrigal, V., Mallinis, G., Ben Dor, E., Helman, D., Estes, L., Ciraolo, G., Müllerová, J., Tauro, F., De Lima, M. I., De Lima, J. L. M. P., Maltese, A., Frances, F., Caylor, K., Kohv, M., Perks, M., . . . Toth, B. (2018). On the use of unmanned aerial systems for environmental monitoring. Remote Sensing (Basel), 10(4), 641. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10040641

[21] Meijerink, A. M. J. (2007). Remote sensing applications to groundwater. IHP-VI, Series on Groundwater No. 16. UNESCO.

[22] Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. (2021). UAE national climate change plan 2017-2050. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

[23] Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. (2021). UAE water security strategy 2036. Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

[24] Murad, A. A., Al Nuaimi, H., & Al Hammadi, M. (2007). Comprehensive assessment of water resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Water Resources Management, 21(9), 1449–1463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-006-9093-4

[25] Othman, A., Sultan, M., Becker, R., Alsefry, S., Alharbi, T., Gebremichael, E., Alharbi, H., & Abdelmohsen, K. (2018). Use of geophysical and remote sensing data for assessment of aquifer depletion and related land deformation. Surveys in Geophysics, 39(3), 543–566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-017-9458-7

[26] Pai, H., Malenda, H. F., Briggs, M. A., Singha, K., González-Pinzón, R., Gooseff, M. N., & Tyler, S. W. (2017). Potential for small unmanned aircraft systems applications for identifying groundwater-surface water exchange in a meandering river reach. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(23), 11,868–11,877. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075836

[27] Rizk, Z. S., & Alsharhan, A. S. (2003). Water resources in the United Arab Emirates. In Water resources perspectives: Evaluation, management and policy (pp. 245–264). Elsevier Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-5648(03)80022-9

[28] Sherif, M., & Kacimov, A. (2008). Seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of Wadi Ham, UAE. In Groundwater for sustainable development: Problems, perspectives and challenges (pp. 315–331). CRC Press.

[29] Sherif, M., & Singh, V. P. (2002). Effect of groundwater pumping on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Agricultural Sciences, 7(2), 61–67.

[30] Sherif, M., Sefelnasr, A., Ebraheem, A. A., & Javadi, A. (2021). Climate change impacts on groundwater hydrology and water resources in the UAE. Sustainability, 13(3), 1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031139

[31] Tmušić, G., Manfreda, S., Aasen, H., James, M. R., Gonçalves, G., Ben-Dor, E., Brook, A., Polinova, M., Arranz, J. J., Mészáros, J., Zhuang, R., Johansen, K., Malbeteau, Y., de Lima, I. P., Davids, C., Herban, S., & McCabe, M. F. (2020). Current practices in UAS-based environmental monitoring. Remote Sensing (Basel), 12(6), 1001. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12061001

[32] UAE General Civil Aviation Authority. (2023). Drone regulations and guidelines. UAE General Civil Aviation Authority.

[33] UAE Government (2024). Water security strategy. Official Portal of the UAE Government. https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/federal-governments-strategiesand- plans/the-uae-water-security-strategy-2036

[34] UN-Water. (2020). UN-Water analytical brief on unconventional water resources. UN-Water.

[35] Vengosh, A. (2013). Salinization and saline environments. In Treatise on geochemistry (2nd ed., pp. 325–378). Elsevier.