Impacts of Human Activities on Urban Sprawl and Land Surface Temperature in Rural Areas, a Case Study of El-Reyad District, Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Some suggestions/corrections offered in attachment.

Attached File: 

Suggestions/Corrections to MDPI Manuscript 21188

Abstract, Line 4, Replace proved with proven

Abstract, Line 5, Delete is

Abstract, Line 8, Replace is with was

Abstract, Line 12, Replace microaggregate with microaggregates

Introduction, Line 10, Replace was with were

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Line 276, Replace 15 with 16

Line 280, Replace 34.7 with 36.3

Line 289, Check 6949 with Table 3 value of 7187.6; Check 16.4%

Line 294, Check 43792 with Table 3 value of 43768.2

Line 303, Delete gained; Add , afte decreased; Delete and; Add , after unchanged; Add increased before lands

Line 304, Replace gained with Gained; Replace Un changed with Unchanged

Line 307, Add Label for 3 categories, including bare lands

Line 334, Replace year with years

Line 335, Replace showmen with shown

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Line 338, Replace Acres with acres; Replace Acres with acres

Line 349, Add is after it

Line 357, Delete ,; Add .

Line 374, Add % after 357.9

Line 380, Add El- to Reyad

Moderate revision of English syntax required. 

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments, I have considered all of them, thank you again for your efforts and time  

Abstract, Line 4, Replace proved with proven

We improved

Abstract, Line 5, Delete is

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Abstract, Line 8, Replace is with was

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Abstract, Line 12, Replace microaggregate with microaggregates

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Introduction, Line 10, Replace was with were

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Line 12, Replace proved with proven

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Line 20, Replace binds with binding

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Line 276, Replace 15 with 16

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Line 280, Replace 34.7 with 36.3

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Line 289, Check 6949 with Table 3 value of 7187.6; Check 16.4%

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Line 294, Check 43792 with Table 3 value of 43768.2

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Line 303, Delete gained; Add , afte decreased; Delete and; Add , after unchanged; Add increased before lands

We improved these sentence

Line 304, Replace gained with Gained; Replace Un changed with Unchanged

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Line 307, Add Label for 3 categories, including bare lands

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Line 334, Replace year with years

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Line 335, Replace showmen with shown

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Line 336, Delete the

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Line 338, Replace Acres with acres; Replace Acres with acres

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Line 349, Add is after it

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Line 357, Delete ,; Add .

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Line 374, Add % after 357.9

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Line 380, Add El- to Reyad

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Moderate revision of English

We checked the language carefully 

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper evaluates land use changes and their impacts on land surface temperature (LST) in the rural El-Reyad district of Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt, using Landsat images and support vector machine (SVM) modeling in Google Earth Engine (GEE). The authors also used the CA-Markov simulation model to predict land use changes until 2056.

The use of Landsat data and SVM modeling in GEE appears to be an effective method for monitoring land cover/use changes and LST. The authors provided detailed results, including the identification of six land cover classes and their changes over time, as well as the effects of land use changes on LST.  

However, the paper could be improved by addressing the following issues:

1. The title "Human Activities" is not appropriate;  it should be replaced with "Land Use".  

2. The literature review is inadequate. Given the focus on how land use impacts LST in El-Reyad District, relevant studies on the relationship between land use and LST should be reviewed.

3. The research problem/motivation and academic contribution are unclear. What is the purpose of estimating LST in El-Reyad District? What new knowledge or methods could the study provide?

4. Figure 2 is confusing and needs revision.  

5. The LST inversion using Landsat4-9 data raises several  issues: (1) Are LST from different sensors comparable? (2) Is the linear regression model in Equation 1 sufficient to reflect the complex factors influencing LST? (3) How were the Scale and Offset parameters determined? What is the accuracy of the inversion results?

6. The English needs improvement, especially the lengthy paragraphs.  

7. A discussion section should be added to discuss the study's academic contribution, model sensitivity, limitations and weaknesses. The authors could also suggest policy recommendations to preserve green spaces and mitigate urban sprawl.   

8. Although the study focused on "Rural Areas", the results and conclusions related to rural areas were not emphasized.

Addressing these issues would strengthen the paper and make it a more valuable contribution to the literature.

The English needs improvement, especially the lengthy paragraphs, which are inconvenient for readers to read and understand.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments, I have considered all of them, thank you again for your efforts and time  

1. The title "Human Activities" is not appropriate; it should be replaced with "Land Use".  

We used human activity in the title to highlight the problem related to human practices to change the land use from agricultural to urban

2. The literature review is inadequate. Given the focus on how land use impacts LST in El-Reyad District, relevant studies on the relationship between land use and LST should be reviewed.

LST, derived from remote sensing data, is a valuable and commonly used resource for investigating surface urban heat islands (UHIs)( Imhoff et al. (2010). The advent of thermal remote sensing has facilitated the accessibility of LST data, thanks to satellite sensors such as Landsat, MODIS, and ASTER. These sensors provide broad coverage, enabling the analysis of LST patterns across large areas of the Earth's surface (Myint et al,2013). Many researchers studied the effect of land cover change on the land surface temperature in order to adapt new strategies and policies mitigating the effects of increasing the temperature on the surrounding environment (Yuan et al.,2007; Adams & Smith ,2014). However, the correlation between land use/land cover (LULC) and the urban heat island (UHI) effect may not be linear due to various factors such as seasonal variability in land cover data and the complex landscape structure and urban morphology heterogeneity ( Owen et al. 1998; Zhou et al. 2014; Guo et al. 2015). Furthermore non-linear regression method could give better results in predicting land surface temperature (LST) and gaining a deeper understanding of the LULC-UHI relationship (Tran et al.,2017).

3. The research problem/motivation and academic contribution are unclear. What is the purpose of estimating LST in El-Reyad District? What new knowledge or methods could the study provide?

Thank you for your question,  In arid regions, the vegetation cover is considered the cooling surface which contributes to reducing the severity of the heat. In Egypt, the green cover is concentrated in the Nile Delta and valley, and the rest areas are desert. The rural community represents the green cover, therefore the change of green cover to urban by human activities will be caused a negative impact on the environment. Hence, the idea of the research is focused on the rural community by showing the spatial decrease of vegetation cover and its relationship to the rise in LST . In addition To contributing to the development of a future plan to reduce urban sprawl to preserve the green cover in rural areas,

4. Figure 2 is confusing and needs revision.  

We improved figure 2

5. 

(1) Are LST from different sensors comparable?

- Thanks for your question. We agree with the reviewer that the variation in the Landsat thermal sensor characteristics (Landsat 8 TIRS and Landsat 7 ETM+) must have caused variation in the derived LST. However, the studies that compared different Landsat ST Products from different Landsat sensors attributed the significant variation in the retrieved ST to the retrieving method. Nugraha et al. (2019) compared the Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS to map LST for drought monitoring in part of East Java Province, Indonesia. The results showed that the SWA method, used to calculate Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS, provides more similar results to the corresponding land cover conditions as compared to the result of Landsat 7 ETM+. However, both methods have similar results in terms of the condition of Land Surface Temperatures. Another study conducted by García-Santos et al. (2018) compared three different LST estimation method algorithms (i.e., the radiative transfer equation (RTE), single-channel algorithm (SCA), and split-window algorithm (SWA)) compared with in situ LST measurements from a broadband thermal infrared radiometer located on the same Landsat 8 pixel. The results show good performances of the three methods, with the SWA showing the lowest observed RMSE.

In our study, we have used LST estimated from Landsat 4-9 Level-2 Collection-2 which was processed using the same model “the single channel algorithm version 1.3.0” derived from June 2017 version of RIT ST Code. Also, our study has used the annual LST maps (figure 7) estimated as an average LST during the summer months. Having an average value among many observations is expected to reduce the errors resulting from the variation in the sensor characteristics

(2) Is the linear regression model in Equation 1 sufficient to reflect the complex factors influencing LST?

- Thanks for your question. The Landsat 4-9 Surface Temperature (ST) products in USGS Landsat Level-2 Collection-2 were generated from the single channel algorithm version 1.3.0 (derived from June 2017 version of RIT ST Code). The ST algorithm uses a set of data including the from the Collection 2 Level 1 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) band 10 using Top of Atmosphere (TOA) Reflectance, TOA Brightness Temperature (BT), Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global Emissivity Dataset (GED) data, ASTER Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, and atmospheric profiles of geopotential height, specific humidity, and air temperature extracted from reanalysis data.

The simple linear regression model in Eq.1 is just to convert the pre-estimated LST from the 16-bit integer Digital Number (DN from 1: 65455) form into a Kelvin unit.

Source:

- Landsat Collection 2 Surface Temperature (https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-collection-2-surface-temperature). 

- Landsat 8-9 Calibration Validation Algorithm Description Document (https://www.usgs.gov/media/files/landsat-8-9-calibration-validation-algorithm-description-document).

Many researchers supported the use of linear equations for surface temperature fluctuations (Yuan et al.,2007; Adams & Smith ,2014), and others suggested using nonlinear equations to overcome the overlapping of land features  such as Tran et al.,2017 ).

*In the current work, I will take this point in the future .In the current work, I will take this point in the future

(3) How were the Scale and Offset parameters determined? What is the accuracy of the inversion results?

- Thanks for your question. The Scale and Offset parameters are provided in the USGS Landsat 4-9 Level 2, Collection 2 metadata. It is the same value of scale (0.00341802) and offset (149) for Landsat 4-9 surface temperature conversion from DN to Kelvin.

Source:

• USGS Landsat 8 Level 2, Collection 2, Tier 1: https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/LANDSAT_LC08_C02_T1_L2
• USGS Landsat 5 Level 2, Collection 2, Tier 1: https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/LANDSAT_LT05_C02_T1_L2
• USGS Landsat 4 Level 2, Collection 2, Tier 1: https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/LANDSAT_LT04_C02_T1_L2

6. The English need improvement, especially the lengthy paragraphs.  

Thank  you for your recommendation, the English we have checked carefully 

7. A discussion section should be added to discuss the study's academic contribution, model sensitivity, limitations and weaknesses. The authors could also suggest policy recommendations to preserve green spaces and mitigate urban sprawl. 

Thank  you for your recommendation  , we have considered and improved the discussion and added some recommendations to fight the urban sprawl   

8. Although the study focused on "Rural Areas", the results and conclusions related to rural areas were not emphasized.

Thank you , we have highlighted this in the conclusion section 

Addressing these issues would strengthen the paper and make it a more valuable contribution to the literature.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English needs improvement, especially the lengthy paragraphs, which are inconvenient for readers to read and understand.

We have reviewed the language carefully

Reviewer 3 Report

In general, the research work is good in its content.

 

The only thing that could be improved is the article's structure, particularly the arrangement of figures and tables. In some, there is ample space between the description and the image, and in others very short.

 

For example, the space between Figure 2 and the text is minimal. In turn, Table 2 description begins with something other than a capital letter. Also, Table 3's narrative is on one page, and the information is on another.

 

Another recurring detail is that the font sizes in some lines are different (see lines 156 and 157).

In order to improve the quality of the work, it is recommended that it be reviewed by an expert translator expert in academic subjects or, in case of not having the financial resources, use some specialized software.

Author Response

The only thing that could be improved is the article's structure, particularly the arrangement of figures and tables. In some, there is ample space between the description and the image, and in others very short.

 Thank you very much for your comments. we have considered and corrected

For example, the space between Figure 2 and the text is minimal. In turn, Table 2 description begins with something other than a capital letter. Also, Table 3's narrative is on one page, and the information is on another.

 Another recurring detail is that the font sizes in some lines are different (see lines 156 and 157).

Thank you , I have unified the size of line 156 and 157

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

In order to improve the quality of the work, it is recommended that it be reviewed by an expert translator expert in academic subjects or, in case of not having the financial resources, use some specialized software.

We have reviewed the language carefully

Reviewer 4 Report

Dear authors,

I reviewed the manuscript that investigated the change in land cover and urban change in the rural areas and their impact on the change of surface temperature in the district of El-Reyad , Kafrelsheikh Governorate, during the time. By highlighting the CA-Markov simulation model, this study predicted urban sprawl and potential changes in land surface temperature up to 2056.

After carefully reading the manuscript, I feel that the idea is interesting. However, the manuscript does not meet the requirements for publication in the Journal of Sustainability.

 Based on my understanding, the study lacked the ability to present a scientific discussion in a deep and comprehensive manner. It also failed to reveal the differences between the current study and past studies conducted in other contexts. Furthermore, the manuscript failed to clearly reveal the study's novelty.

For this reason, the research lacks novelty to illustrate what research findings will add to existing knowledge.

 

Anyway, you can find my comments here:

Abstract:

Describe the research gap.

Instead of describing general findings, emphasize the specific novelty of the research.

Describe the research's contribution to existing knowledge.

Results and discussion

The part must be divided into two parts (result, discussion).

Line 318: However, the overall effect of natural factors on land surface temperature is usually less than human-induced factors. (rewrite and add evidence)

Line 331: The prediction changes of land cover and LST are important for building strategies to meet challenges.

The sentences are unclear! Rewrite

 Line 334: The results of CA-Markov showed the simulation of land use and land cover until 2056, as showmen in (Fig. 9a; Table 4). (Rewrite it)

Line 338-339: Unfortunately, the lost area will be from highly fertile agricultural land that took millions of  years to form [41-43], these areas are in the southern parts of the study area (Fig. 9). Discuss scientifically, don't repeat the obvious(

Conclusion

As part of this part, the author should describe the theoretical and practical implications, research contributions, and limitations of current research. In addition, the author should suggest suggestions for future research.

As I see, the authors reviewed the manuscript in this part, which needs revision

Author Response

I reviewed the manuscript that investigated the change in land cover and urban change in the rural areas and their impact on the change of surface temperature in the district of El-Reyad , Kafrelsheikh Governorate, during the time. By highlighting the CA-Markov simulation model, this study predicted urban sprawl and potential changes in land surface temperature up to 2056.

 Thank you very much for your comments. we have considered and corrected

After carefully reading the manuscript, I feel that the idea is interesting. However, the manuscript does not meet the requirements for publication in the Journal of Sustainability.

 Based on my understanding, the study lacked the ability to present a scientific discussion in a deep and comprehensive manner. It also failed to reveal the differences between the current study and past studies conducted in other contexts. Furthermore, the manuscript failed to clearly reveal the study's novelty.

For this reason, the research lacks novelty to illustrate what research findings will add to existing knowledge.

 Thank you for your comment, In arid regions, the vegetation cover is considered the cooling surface which contributes to reducing the severity of the heat. In Egypt, the green cover is concentrated in the Nile Delta and valley, and the rest areas are desert. The rural community represents the green cover, therefore the change of green cover to urban by human activities will be caused a negative impact on the environment. Hence, the idea of the research is focused on the rural community by showing the spatial decrease of vegetation cover and its relationship to the rise in LST . In addition to contributing to the development of a future plan to reduce urban sprawl to preserve the green cover in rural areas,

Anyway, you can find my comments here:

Abstract:

Describe the research gap.

I have described in front of abstract

Instead of describing general findings, emphasize the specific novelty of the research.

The manuscript discusses a crucial point, which is the spatial variability of land uses and its association with surface temperature change over a time period from 1988 to 2022 and future prediction until 2056 in rural areas, it represents surface cooling and heat balance In arid environments. The manuscript presents the spatiotemporal dimension of urban sprawl and the future change of LST so that local decision-makers can take appropriate measures. On the other hand, it explains to the reader the behavior of human activity in these environments which agrees or disagrees with other regions

Describe the research's contribution to existing knowledge.

The research manuscript examined the dual effects of human activities, revealing both positive and negative consequences. On the positive side, there was a significant increase in agricultural land by 15,874.6 acres, which accounted for 36.3% of the total agricultural area. This expansion was made possible through reclamation processes in previously barren areas. Conversely, the study identified a negative impact, with urban areas expanding by 10% compared to their size in 1988. The changes in land use and land cover (LULC) classes were found to be associated with variations in Land Surface Temperature (LST). Looking ahead to the future (2056), the manuscript highlighted the absence of available bare areas for urban expansion. As a result, it is expected that agricultural lands will be converted into urban areas, potentially leading to an increase in LST.

Results and discussion

The part must be divided into two parts (result, discussion).

It is difficult to do that in this stage, especially the journal accepts this form

Line 318: However, the overall effect of natural factors on land surface temperature is usually less than human-induced factors. (rewrite and add evidence)

However, human-induced factors typically have a greater impact on land surface temperature (LST) compared to natural factors. As human activities increase the urban area instead of cooling surfaces (vegetation cover)

In the El-Reyad district, both air temperature and LST exhibit a general upward trend. Line 331: The prediction changes of land cover and LST are important for building strategies to meet challenges. The sentences are unclear! Rewrite

Predicting changes in land cover and Land Surface Temperature (LST) is crucial for developing strategies to address upcoming challenges, as it determines the direction of change and its relationship to temperature change and thus enables decision-makers to take precautionary measures to limit the increase in urban sprawl

 Line 334: The results of CA-Markov showed the simulation of land use and land cover until 2056, as showmen in (Fig. 9a; Table 4). (Rewrite it)

The CA-Markov model simulated the land use and land cover changes until 2056,

Line 338-339: Unfortunately, the lost area will be from highly fertile agricultural land that took millions of  years to form [41-43], these areas are in the southern parts of the study area (Fig. 9). Discuss scientifically, don't repeat the obvious(

Thank you for your comment

The expected results indicate that by 2056, there will be significant soil loss primarily in the highly fertile agricultural soils near urban areas. These soils have a clay texture, high content of organic matter, and high suitability for a wide range of crops. In contrast, the rest of Egypt's soils are characterized by a sandy texture, lower organic matter content, and limited production capacity. The degradation of these fertile agricultural soils may have implications for food production in the affected area, potentially posing challenges to meeting the agricultural demands of the region

Conclusion

As part of this part, the author should describe the theoretical and practical implications, research contributions, and limitations of current research. In addition, the author should suggest suggestions for future research.

Thank you for your comment

The study depicted the anticipated changes in land use, land cover, and land surface temperature within rural areas located in arid regions. We analysed the impact of human activities on land use modifications, particularly the conversion of cropland and vegetation areas into urban areas, which has resulted in alterations to the thermal landscape of the region. Despite this, the results of the study showed the negative impacts of urban sprawl on the rural environment by converting large areas into urbanization. The prediction results showed that, the total agricultural area will decrease by 11.7% until the year 2056. The barren lands and the natural vegetation areas were the most variable changes until 2022, where 97.3 % of the bare area has changed to another use and natural vegetation lost about 34.1 % of its area. On the other hand, the change in fish farms and urbanization account for (357.9%), (346.6%), respectively. This indicates an increase in urbanization and fish farms at the expense of the rest of the land uses in the study area. The results show an increase in average LST from 32.4 to 33.6 from 1988 to 2022. In addition, it is expected that the average LST – will be increased to 36 by 2056. Also, the change in LST has been linked to human activities and land uses where some area decreased their LST and others increased their LST. Overall, the results show the magnitude of the major land cover changes that have occurred in the El-Reyad region over the past three decades, providing important insights into the changing landscape of the region and potential impacts on its ecological and social systems. We recommended further investigation can enhance our understanding of the relationship between land use/land cover (LULC) and land surface temperature (LST) in the context of the urban heat island (UHI) based on higher resolution imagery for LULC classification can provide a more detailed and accurate representation of the land cover composition within urban areas. Therefore, local authorities must adopt policies to reduce urban encroachment on fertile lands on the one hand and to limit the rise in temperature on the other hand.

Reviewer 5 Report

The article on urban sprawl and LST is interesting. However, I have some queries.

1.) Highlight the hypothesis in the introduction part.

2.) Line 74….Write Athukorala and Murayama [24] used Landsat 8 data…..

3.) Line 94….Check spacing to:1)

4.) Line 190….Remove the box where the equation is kept.

5.) Line 200-202……“The accuracy assessment…….Natural Vegetation”…..Delete this sentence….very general….Readers can see this in the tables.

6.) Table 1…….LULC…..Check the use of uppercase and lowercase for the second word…… Fish Farms…..Bare lands……Maintain uniformity. Same comment for Table 2….. Fish Farms, Bare lands, Natural vegetation……Why Lake Burullus….Write Burullus Lake as in Table 1.

7.) Line 240……Check spacing [38].On

8.)  Line 240-254…… Acres sometimes written with lowercase acres…..Maintain uniformity throughout the article.

9.) Line 257……Write Hossen and Negm [39] reported that

10.) Figure 4…Acre……Place Acre on the left side of Y-axis……Remove figure caption from the box……and compile within figure title.

11.) Delete space before %..... 25.2 % (Line 279)…..Write as Line 277 (36%)……Check this throughout the article.

12.) Table 2 and 3…..In the last row…..Sum…..Total……?? Why difference?

13.) Figure 6…Show the horizontal axis with zero point.

14.) Line 321……Show upto two numbers after decimal….Similarly represent in Figure 8.

15.) Table 5…..Write Statistics instead of “Statistical”….Write about SD in the footnote.

16.) Line 344…….Check spacing 2056) . Fish farms

17.) Line 347…350….vague sentence…..1.1%, Meanwhile,…….. 1.1%; meanwhile,

2056 On the other….??

18.) Line 353..check fullstop……33.6 °C. in

19.) 357….land to agricultural, On

20.) There are a lot of spacing and typological errors…..Please check thoroughly.

Line 198…..Results and discussion instead of Results and discussions

21.) Though there are substantial outcomes drawn in this study, I found there are lesser efforts by authors to support the outcomes with recent literature.

22.) Check grammar or language.

23.) Maintain Journal style for References.

Please check thoroughly. Language is not proper. Take help for editing.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments, I have considered all of them, thank you again for your efforts and time  

The article on urban sprawl and LST is interesting. However, I have some queries.

• Highlight the hypothesis in the introduction part.

We have covered and added some sentences regarding the hypothesis in the introduction

• Line 74….Write Athukorala and Murayama [24]used Landsat 8 data…..

We corrected

• Line 94….Check spacing to:1)

We checked

• Line 190….Remove the box where the equation is kept.

We removed

• Line 200-202……“The accuracy assessment…….Natural Vegetation”…..Delete this sentence….very general….Readers can see this in the tables.

We rewrite

• Table 1…….LULC…..Check the use of uppercase and lowercase for the second word……Fish Farms…..Bare lands……Maintain uniformity. Same comment for Table 2….. Fish Farms, Bare lands, Natural vegetation……Why Lake Burullus….Write Burullus Lake as in Table 1.

We checked and corrected

• Line 240……Check spacing[38].On

We checked and corrected

• Line 240-254……Acres sometimes written with lowercase acres…..Maintain uniformity throughout the article.
• We checked and corrected
• Line 257……WriteHossen and Negm [39]reported that

We checked and corrected

• Figure 4…Acre……Place Acre on the left side of Y-axis……Remove figure caption from the box……and compile within figure title.

We checked and removed

11.) Delete space before %..... 25.2 % (Line 279)…..Write as Line 277 (36%)……Check this throughout the article.

We checked and corrected

• Table 2 and 3…..In the last row…..Sum…..Total……?? Why difference?

Table 2 showed the land cover changes in each class

Table 3 showed (decreased , nonchanged and increased in each class )

• Figure 6…Show the horizontal axis with zero point.

Figure 6 showed , the net change % in land cover types

• Line 321……Show upto two numbers after decimal….Similarly represent in Figure 8.

We checked and improved

• Table 5…..WriteStatistics instead of “Statistical”….Write about SD in the footnote.

we have considered and changes

16.) Line 344…….Check spacing 2056) . Fish farms

17.) Line 347…350….vague sentence…..1.1%, Meanwhile,…….. 1.1%; meanwhile,

2056 On the other….??

We checked and Clearfield

18.) Line 353..check fullstop……33.6 °C. in

We checked

19.) 357…land to agricultural, On

We checked and Clearfield

20.) There are a lot of spacing and typological errors.Please check thoroughly.

We have  checked the spacing

Line 198…..Results and discussion instead of Results and discussions

We corrected

21.) Though there are substantial outcomes drawn in this study, I found there are lesser efforts by authors to support the outcomes with recent literature.

We have considered and added updated references

22.) Check grammar or language.

We have checked

23.) Maintain Journal style for References.

We checked the reference style

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The research problem in this paper is not clearly defined, and the content is repetitive. The academic contribution is not significant.

Author Response

Authors would like to thank you for your valuable comments.

The research problem in this paper is not clearly defined, and the content is repetitive. The academic contribution is not significant.

we have clearly the research problem in the introduction section 

The phenomenon of transforming agriculture into urban is a common problem in the Nile Delta, it doesn't subject to the official urban planning of the local authorities, but due to random activities of the local population in those areas to establish industrial areas and homes. This transformation has led to an increase in the land surface temperature. Many studies highlighted this problem in their work , they focuses on the big cities . For example, in Greater Cairo, the shifting vegetation has caused an increase in Land Surface Temperature (LST) from 31.3 °C in 1986 to 36.0 °C in 2017. It is projected to reach 37.9 °C in 2030 (Abd-Elmabod et al.,2022). Similarly, in Sharkia Governorate, located east of the Nile Delta, the arithmetic mean LST increased from 29.09 to 32.93 in July from 2001 to 2022 (Fahmy et al.,2023).The challenge in this study is to demonstrate the extent of urban sprawl in rural areas, which is considered the fundamental factor affecting the heat balance. The presence of vegetation cover, particularly in arid regions, plays a crucial role in this regard. Additionally, accurately predicting the future changes in urban sprawl and temperature rise resulting from human activities is of utmost importance. Such predictions are vital for developing effective strategies aimed at mitigating the increase in this phenomenon.

Therefore, the results of the spatial distribution of urban sprawl and its trends explain to decision-makers the random urban sprawl in rural areas, as well as the future prediction of the phenomenon until 2056, and thus it can stop urban sprawl.

We hope we have clarified the problem and its correlation with the results and its impact on the local community 

 

Reviewer 4 Report

Dear authors,

After reading the revised manuscript, I found most of the comments were appropriately addressed or answered and justified, but the following issues are still unsolved in the manuscript:

Abstract:
Indicate the research gap

 

Instead of describing general findings, emphasize the specific novelty of the research.

Author Response

Authors would like to thank you for your valuable comments.

Indicate the research gap

The phenomenon of transforming agriculture into urban is a common problem in the Nile Delta, it doesn't subject to the official urban planning of the local authorities, but due to random activities of the local population in those areas to establish industrial areas and homes. This transformation has led to an increase in the land surface temperature. Many studies highlighted this problem in their work , they focuses on the big cities . For example, in Greater Cairo, the shifting vegetation has caused an increase in Land Surface Temperature (LST) from 31.3 °C in 1986 to 36.0 °C in 2017. It is projected to reach 37.9 °C in 2030 (Abd-Elmabod et al.,2022). Similarly, in Sharkia Governorate, located east of the Nile Delta, the arithmetic mean LST increased from 29.09 to 32.93 in July from 2001 to 2022 (Fahmy et al.,2023).The challenge in this study is to demonstrate the extent of urban sprawl in rural areas, which is considered the fundamental factor affecting the heat balance. The presence of vegetation cover, particularly in arid regions, plays a crucial role in this regard. Additionally, accurately predicting the future changes in urban sprawl and temperature rise resulting from human activities is of utmost importance. Such predictions are vital for developing effective strategies aimed at mitigating the increase in this phenomenon.

Instead of describing general findings, emphasize the specific novelty of the research.

Therefore, the results of the  spatial distribution of urban sprawl and its trends explain to decision-makers the random urban sprawl in rural areas, as well as the future prediction of the phenomenon until 2056, and thus it can stop urban sprawl.

Round 3

Reviewer 4 Report

Dear authors,

 

After reading the revised manuscript, I found that most of the comments were appropriately explained and justified by the authors. Based on my understanding, the manuscript met the journal’s requirements for publication.

So, I decided to accept this manuscript in the current format.

Author Response

thank you very much