The pyramids of Giza originally overlooked a now defunct arm of the Nile. This fluvial channel, the Khufu branch, enabled navigation to the Pyramid Harbor complex but its precise environmental history is unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, we use pollen-derived vegetation patterns to reconstruct 8,000 y of fluvial variations on the Giza floodplain. After a high-stand level concomitant with the African Humid Period, our results show that Giza’s waterscapes responded to a gradual insolation-driven aridification of East Africa, with the lowest Nile levels recorded at the end of the Dynastic Period. The Khufu branch remained at a high-water level (∼40% of its Holocene maximum) during the reigns of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, facilitating the transportation of construction materials to the Giza Pyramid Complex.

Flash floods are highly destructive natural disasters, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like Egypt, where data scarcity poses significant challenges for analysis. This study focuses on the Wadi Al-Barud basin in Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert (CED), where a severe flash flood occurred on 26–27 October 2016. This flash flood event, characterized by moderate rainfall (16.4 mm/day) and a total volume of 8.85 × 10⁶ m³, caused minor infrastructure damage, with 78.4% of the rainfall occurring within 6 h. A significant portion of floodwaters was stored in dam reservoirs, reducing downstream impacts. Multi-source data, including Landsat 8 OLI imagery, ALOS-PALSAR radar data, Global Precipitation Measurements—Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Final Run (GPM-FR) precipitation data, geologic maps, field measurements, and Triangulated Irregular Networks (TINs), were integrated to analyze the flash flood event. The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method integrated with several hydrologic models, including the Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS), Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), and European Hydrological System Model (MIKE-SHE), was applied to evaluate flood forecasting, watershed management, and runoff estimation, with results cross-validated using TIN-derived DEMs, field measurements, and Landsat 8 imagery. The SCS-CN method proved effective, with percentage differences of 5.4% and 11.7% for reservoirs 1 and 3, respectively. High-resolution GPM-FR rainfall data and ALOS-derived soil texture mapping were particularly valuable for flash flood analysis in data-scarce regions. The study concluded that the existing protection plan is sufficient for 25- and 50-year return periods but inadequate for 100-year events, especially under climate change. Recommendations include constructing additional reservoirs (0.25 × 10⁶ m³ and 1 × 10⁶ m³) along Wadi Kahlah and Al-Barud Delta, reinforcing the Safaga–Qena highway, and building protective barriers to divert floodwaters. The methodology is applicable to similar flash flood events globally, and advancements in geomatics and datasets will enhance future flood prediction and management.

The Greater Cairo (GC) is one of the largest urban clusters in the world. Basiclly, it contains three interlocked cities including Cairo City (the capital). In the last two decades, many new suburbs were constructed to the east of the old Cairo City. The current study investigates recent urbanization of the new suburbs and its impacts on natural landscape-geomorphology. A series of optical satellite images are utilized to quantify land-cover changes from 2000 to 2017. Detailed field studies were carried out. These field studies allow checking remotely sensed data and observing human-induced landforms. The human activities (urban growth) alter the native geomorphology, mainly drainage basins (wadis). Two applied case studies have been carried out. These applied case studies probe the flash flood risk in the New Cairo City and the New Adminstrative Capital, and demonstrate the land subsidence in Madinty suburb.

Flash floods are among natural hazards frequently recorded in Egyptian deserts. By the November 4, 2015 a sever flash flood hit the northwestern part of the Nile Delta and the surrounding desert margin in Wadi An-Natrun and Wadi Al-Farigh Depressions. This event left large economic damage and fatalities. In the current study, field work has been carried out in disaster sites, namely in Wadi An-Natrun and Wadi Al-Farigh. This allows a detailed observation of flood impacts. Also Landsat-based spectral indices and GIS change detection operations are utilized in quantifying damage. It is found that physical factors such as exceptional rainfall event and topography control flood runoff and inundation. Moreover, miss-land use in the study area yields a disastrous flash flood.