Coastal Anthropogeomorphological Changes in Ashairej Promontory, Kuwait Bay

Human activities comprise a third agent of modern geomorphological processes. A human-made landform represents a unit characterized by human activities combined with natural geomorphologic agents, the study of which is referred to as anthropogeomorphology. Ras Ashairej in Kuwait Bay is undergoing many such changes due to the disposal of untreated sewage and industrial effluents that contain high concentrations of ammonia, mercury, chlorine, and oil residue resulting from the disposal of ballast water inside inshore water. This paper aims to: 1) describe the changes in Ashairej promontory during the period 1990 to 2021, 2) investigate the present water quality at Ashairej headland, 3) evaluate the currents’ normal circulation pattern, and 4) determine decay and sedimentation rates along the Ashairej coast. This study utilizes both remote sensing (satellite imagery and UASs to photograph the study area and track recent changes) and field-based data gathering (i.e., ground-truthing) to identify changes in land use and land cover, including using sample analysis of the water for tracing evidence and creating/updating a land-use map. The goal rests in creating the first geographic information systems (GIS) database for the headland capable of analysing coastal anthropogeomorphology changes at the Ashairej promontory that, as an example, can then be generalized and expanded for Kuwait’s other coasts. The result rests in presenting a plan to protect the study area from human encroachments, as well as aiding specialists and decision-makers in the State of Kuwait in further protecting Kuwait’s coastal/near-coastal ecosystems.