Spatial Change in an Egyptian Village

Aims: The objective of this paper was to detect spatial change in the village of Shoeshay in Menoufia governorate, Egypt. The study focused on change in the residential area through the period 2003 – 2015, and some other aspects of spatial change.

Study Design: The study is a case study to apply GIS and survey data to explore spatial change in the village.

Methodology: Different types of data were collected using different techniques. The old maps were obtained from the Survey Agency in Cairo. Soft copies of the village maps through the period 2003 to 2015 were obtained from Google Earth. The residential areas were delineated and measured using GIS Arc Map 10.2 tools. The overlay method was adopted to show the expansion of residential areas through the study period. Data concerning other aspects of spatial change were gathered through the author’s observation and a survey carried out on owners of buildings and some knowledgeable persons of the village.

Results: Results showed a dramatic increase in the residential areas occurred as a result of encroachment on agricultural lands of the village. Over 82% of this increase has occurred during the last six years (2009 – 2015). Changes have occurred also in the shape of buildings, their identity, building materials and other types of spatial change.

Conclusion: Changes in the spatial distribution of the village may reflect improvements in housing conditions and standards of living of inhabitants. But these changes have occurred on the expense of agricultural lands and have a negative effect on land conservation and agricultural sustainability of the village. Great efforts are needed by the agricultural extension organization to make people aware of the importance of land conservation. Great efforts are also needed by the government to take and implement serious decisions to put an end to this critical problem.