Study of The Phenomenon of Rising Groundwater Levels in The Affected Area of Zliten Using The NDMI Soil Moisture Index

Abstract

  The study aims to measure soil moisture in the area affected by rising groundwater levels in the Zliten region by monitoring and tracking changes in soil water content from January 2024, which marks the beginning of the problem of rising water levels in the region, to May 2025, which marks the period of writing the research. To achieve this goal  remote sensing and geographic information systems were used through data provided by Landsat 9 satellite images for the spectral bands specific to the study of the NDMI soil moisture index. After analysing this data using remote sensing and geographic information systems, it was concluded that there is a change in the water content of the soil in the area affected by the rise in groundwater levels in the Zliten region for the period 2024 -2025, where soil moisture decreased from 0.39 in 2024 to 0.32 in 2025, while soil aridity increased from 0.08 in 2024 to 0.46 in 2025, indicating the importance of the solutions currently being implemented to address the problem of rising groundwater in the region, the most important of which is the implementation of the drainage line, in addition to connecting the old wells near the drainage line to the line chambers.