Inaug.-Diss.--Halle-Wittenberg. / Vita.

Thesis--Eberhard-Karis-Universität zu Tübingen. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Inaug.-Diss.--Halle-Wittenberg. / Vita.

Thesis--Eberhard-Karis-Universität zu Tübingen. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--New York University. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-215) and index.

This thesis comprises the first systematic application of the theory of public goods to the study of the economics of Egypt during the 5000 years of its history. That history has provided an unparalleled experiment under quasi laboratory conditions. From the period of great coincidence that introduced agricultural technology in the Nile Valley, to the present day, that river with its system of irrigation has been an essentially indivisible instrument of production, a public good that has almost always dominated the economy. Over the ages, the country has been controlled by various rulers representing a number of very different civilizations: Pharaohs, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks and British. Each new conquest influenced Egypt in its own way and introduced an element of foreign culture. Despite the diversity of these external influences, the qualities of timelessnes and changelessness have never ceased to mark the Egyptian scene. There has been a unique continuity in basic institutions and in the form and functions of government. In examining the economic history of Egypt, marked as it is by this same continuity, the present thesis proves to constitute a confirmation of the theory of public goods.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-147).

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 135-137. / by Katherine Oven Thompson. / M.S.

Detecting stress in plants resulting from different stressors including nitrogen deficiency, salinity, moisture, contamination and diseases, is crucial in crop production. In the Nile Valley, crop production is hindered perhaps more fundamentally by issues of water supply and salinity. Predicting stress in crops by conventional methods is tedious, laborious and costly and is perhaps unreliable in providing a spatial context of stress patterns. Accurate and quick monitoring techniques for crop status to detect stress in crops at early growth stages are needed to maximize crop productivity. In this context, remotely sensed data may provide a useful tool in precision farming. This research aims to evaluate the role of in situ hyperspectral and high spatial resolution satellite remote sensing data to detect stress in wheat and maize crops and assess whether moisture induced stress can be distinguished from salinity induced stress spectrally. A series of five greenhouse based experiments on wheat and maize were undertaken subjecting both crops to a range of salinity and moisture stress levels. Spectroradiometry measurements were collected at different growth stages of each crop to assess the relationship between crop biophysical and biochemical properties and reflectance measurements from plant canopies. Additionally, high spatial resolution satellite images including two QuickBird, one ASTER and two SPOT HRV were acquired in south-west Alexandria, Egypt to assess the potential of high spectral and spatial resolution satellite imagery to detect stress in wheat and maize at local and regional scales. Two field work visits were conducted in Egypt to collect ground reference data and coupled with Hyperion imagery acquisition, during winter and summer seasons of 2007 in March (8-30: wheat) and July (12-17: maize). Despite efforts, Hyperion imagery was not acquired due to factors out with the control of this research. Strong significant correlations between crop properties and different vegetation indices derived from both ground based and satellite platforms were observed. RDVI showed a sensitive index to different wheat properties (r > 0.90 with different biophysical properties). In maize, GNDVIbr and Cgreen had strong significant correlations with maize biophysical properties (r > 0.80). PCA showed the possibility to distinguish between moisture and salinity induced stress at the grain filling stages. The results further showed that a combined approach of high (2-5 m) and moderate (15-20) spatial resolution satellite imagery can provide a better mechanistic interpretation of the distribution and sources of stress, despite the typical small size of fields (20-50 m scale). QuickBird imagery successfully detects stress within field and local scales, whereas SPOT HRV imagery is useful in detecting stress at a regional scale, and therefore, can be a robust tool in identifying issues of crop management at a regional scale. Due to the limited spectral capabilities of high spatial resolution images, distinguishing different sources of stress is not directly possible, and therefore, hyperspectral satellite imagery (e.g. Hyperion or HyspIRI) is required to distinguish between moisture and salinity induced stress. It is evident from the results that remotely sensed data acquired by both in situ hyperspectral and high spatial resolution satellite remote sensing can be used as a useful tool in precision farming in the Nile Valley, Egypt. A combined approach of using reliable high spatial and spectral satellite remote sensing data could provide better insight about stress at local and regional scales. Using this technique as a precision farming and management tool will lead to improved crop productivity by limiting stress and consequently provide a valuable tool in combating issues of food supply at a time of rapid population growth.

This thesis project addresses Islamic water management by presenting case studies on regional water issues and analyzing the extent to which Muslim-majority states behave in a way consistent with Islamic shariah law. The case studies presented in this thesis address both international cooperation related to the management of trans-boundary water basins (the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates River Basins) and domestic water management strategies employed by Muslim-majority states in the MENA region (Jordan and Yemen). In each case, it is not clear that there is consistency between the Islamic ideals discussed by academics and the actual techniques employed by various states. In international attempts at managing the shared waters of the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates Basins, the fact that many riparian states have Muslim-majority populations does not appear to make the management of trans-boundary resources any easier or more successful. The implications for Islamic water management at the domestic level is also unclear – with shariah playing a positive role in Jordanian attempts at water conservation but promoting the over-exploitation of resources in Yemen. Although shariah appears to play a limited role in the management of trans-boundary water resources, it seems to be better suited for informing how states internally manage their endowments of freshwater resources. / text