Desert covers more than 95 percent of Egypt. With less than five percent of the country habitable, almost all of Egypt's 72 million people live along the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River. These crowded conditions—including Cairo, which is among the earth’s most densely populated cities—will worsen as the country’s population is set to double by 2050. While agriculture only contributes about 14 percent to Egypt’s income, it employs 32 percent of the labor force. For millions of Egyptian farmers, however—particularly those in the Nile Delta—yields and incomes decline sharply as salt builds up in the soil. In fact, of Egypt’s total farmland of about 7.8 million feddans (3.3 million hectares), more than 25 percent exhibit salinization problems. In the cultivated lands of the northern and eastern Delta region, more than 60 percent are salt-affected.
The East Delta Agricultural Services Project aimed to provide support services to facilitate the settlement of about 29,000 low-income farm families on about 130,000 feddans of reclaimed lands in the East Delta—and support increased agricultural production. The total project area is located east of the Delta between the Suez Canal and Lake Manzala. It comprises about 200,000 feddans (85,000 ha) in the four governorates of Port Said, Ismailia, Sharkiya, and Dakahliya. Analysis has indicated that these soils are not polluted beyond repair. Once fully reclaimed they are capable of producing crop yields similar to those in the Delta, given the same water allocation and quality. Project activities include provision of agricultural services, including extension, adaptive research, and community development; on-farm infrastructure including tertiary irrigation and field drainage; and drinking water supplies.
Project activities led to increased farm incomes and laid the basis for the development of a viable rural economy in the East Delta area.
Highlights:
- Steady increase in the area under cultivation. 116,944 feddans were cropped in the winter season 2007-2008, which represents 9 percent of the target area (of 130,000 feddans) and an increase of 13 percent over the winter 2006-2007 season.
- Steady increase in crop yields, such as wheat, barley, sugar beet, rice, cotton, and amshout.
- Very successful community development activities: The Community Development Unit (CDU) is involved in a range of activities, which promote village cooperation. Thus far, 14 Community Development Associations (CDAs) have been formed, as well as more than 328 Irrigation Water User Associations (WUAs) and 8 Water Users Unions (WUUs), surpassing the end-of-project target. Community men and women have been trained in various income-generation skills, such as baking, mushroom production, handicrafts, and dairy products. Some CDAs are already receiving grants from the Ministry of Social Affairs to support their activities.
- Progress with infrastructure activities: The project built a large drinking water treatment plant, three sanitary sewerage plants, and rehabilitation/extension of compact units for drinking water treatment.
The IDA credit of approximately $15 million became effective in January 1999 and closes in December 2008. IFAD is co-financing, providing funding of approximately $25 million, with a project closing date of March 31, 2008.
The El Radwan village sewerage network and treatment plant was handed over to the Port Said Governorate, and the Governorate has begun operation of the system. Arrangements have been made for the eventual hand-over of the main water treatment plant in South Hussainia to the El Sharkiya Water Company, and the company has embedded staff in the team supervising the construction of the waterworks.
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