HR Remote Sensing data for the mapping of morphodynamic units in the area of Oung El-Jemel (SW Tunisia)

The aim of this study is to propose a discussion about the vulnerability of an area in southern Tunisia affected by land degradation phenomena. The study are is along the southern border of the Chott El-Rharsa not far from Tozeur and it is characterised by an arid climatologic conditions with the typical desert morphologies and Aeolian dynamics. Tozeur is the most important tourist town of South-Western Tunisia, situated in between the two salt lakes Chott El Djerid to the South and Chott El Rharsa to the North. In the area many sites have to be preserved for their scientific interest and some of these are tourist attraction. The tourism permits to the local population to live in hardly environmental conditions but the intensive degradation development on these sites is connected to irrational use of this land by man. The high resolution Quickbird images have been used as base data to map six morpho-dynamic units and to estimate in a particular site, with the integration of the field work, the movement of a dune. The use of remote sensing data as a tool for monitoring arid systems is well known and it is now possible to apply this technique to map morphological units with an high cartographic definition