Global Arab Network | Egypt drafts strategy to secure water for future generations until 2050

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Egypt drafts strategy to secure water for future generations until 2050

- Mokhtar Thabet

Sunday, 01 August 2010 17:19

The first draft of a comprehensive strategy to secure water needs for future generations until 2050 has been completed and submitted to competent bodies for consideration, Egyptian Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam said.

While touring irrigation projects in Al-Qanatir Al-Khayriyah in the Nile Delta on Saturday 31/7/2010, Allam said the strategy aims to develop irrigation methods in five million feddans in the coming ten years, with an average of half a million feddans every year.

The ministry's main objective is to rationalize water consumption to save huge amounts of water for new projects, he added.

This summer is a particularly hot one, aggravating the shortages. Based on interviews with several local water experts, IRIN highlights 10 areas particularly badly affected by water shortages.

Ismailia city – Water scarcity in this coastal northeastern city of some 750,000 has led to large-scale protests in recent weeks by farmers who say they can no longer irrigate their farms. The farmers urged the governor to help and invited TV cameras to record their predicament. They said drought had caused a shortage of irrigation water and that this had already made 57,803 hectares of farmland uncultivatable.

Dakahlia Governorate – Protests by farmers about scarce irrigation have become common in this agricultural area northeast of Cairo. Farmers, who regularly stage protests outside the office of the governor, say 10,789 hectares of farmland was no longer viable because it had received no irrigation for more than 24 days.

Kafr al-Sheikh Governorate – Farmers in al-Tarzy village, about 180km north of Cairo, said three weeks ago that irrigation water had stopped reaching their farms for 10 days. They have been holding protests, saying the lack of water was causing their crops to die but the government was doing nothing.

Sharqia Governorate – Insufficient irrigation has ruined hundreds of hectares of farmland, particularly in the northern part of this city 80km northeast of Cairo. Over the past month, water scarcity has forced rice farmers to use sewage water to irrigate their dying crops.

Fayoum city – Water scarcity has caused widespread anger in this city, 130km southwest of Cairo. This has led to protests in areas around the city by farmers, who say influential landowners with political connections receive whatever water is available, while the poor are left with nothing.

Damietta city – Scarce water has taken its toll on farmland in this northeastern coastal city and on the health of residents, who have been affected by water contaminated with sewage.

Marsa Matrouh city – A canal bringing water from the Nile to this northwestern coastal town recently dried up, causing drought and hardship for residents.

Minya Governorate – Rising temperatures have increased demand for water in this southern governorate. They have no piped water because of shortages.

Beni Suef city - Farmers in this city about 115km south of Cairo took to the streets two weeks ago because of a lack of irrigation water. They said 1,660 hectares of farmland had been rendered unusable.

Alexandria Governorate – Thousands of hectares of farmland in Nubaria village, south of Alexandria city, are set to dry up because the local authorities have been forced to heavily restrict irrigation.

Global Arab Network

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