39
Uneven distribution of the population exists in Egypt, where they are living on only
4% of the total area. The recent census statistics revealed that around 43% of the
population lives in Lower Egypt (Port Said, Suez, Ismailia, Sharqia, Damietta,
Qalyubia, Gharbia, Menufyia, Kafr El- Sheikh, Behira, and Alexandria governorates). In the Greater Cairo (Cairo, Giza, and Qalubia governorates), around 25% of
the total population live. Around 22% of the total population inhibit Middle Egypt
(Fayoum, Beni Sweif, and Minia governorates), whereas around 16% of them
inhibit Upper Egypt governorates (Assuit, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan). Border
governorates, namely Marsa Matrouh, El-Wadi El-Gedid, Red sea, North Sinai and
South Sinai have very low population, less than 2% of the total population.
Reclamation of new lands provides an opportunity to absorb the increasing population and improving the demographic distribution of the country.
The high population growth rate put high pressure on the government of Egypt
to supply clean water for domestic use and for agriculture to produce food. Egypt
has passed the threshold of water scarcity and it reached the value of 600 m
3
/capita/
year (Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources 2014). Thus, Egypt is recently
transferred from the situation of water abundant to water deficiency.
Furthermore, because the Egyptian population is living on only 4% of Egypt area
and characterized with high growth rate, arable land per capita was reduced from
0.09 hectare in 1961 to 0.03 hectares in 2016. Land holdings in Egypt are very
small, with 89% of land holdings smaller than 1.3 hectares (FAO 2015).
3.6 Irrigated Agriculture and Food Production
Irrigated agriculture is the main contributor in food production in Egypt, which consumed 85% of its water resources. Surface irrigation is the prevailing system in the
old lands with 50–60% water application efficiency on farm level. Farmers are used
to plant crops in basins, where they broadcast seeds, or they plant seeds on furrows.
This practice results in application of a large amount of irrigation water. Under furrow irrigation, water runoff could cause soil erosion and loss in fertility (Sojka et al.
2007). In addition, fertilizer leaching is also a consequence of application of large
irrigation amounts, causing groundwater pollution (Abouelenein et al. 2010).
In the new lands, sprinkler and drip systems are prevailing and surface irrigation
is prohibited by the law. Small areas of the new lands irrigated using canals originated from the Nile River, but most of the new lands irrigated using groundwater.
Nevertheless, the revenue obtained from most of the already reclaimed areas is low
compared to its full potential due to inefficient use of land and water resources,
inferior or absence of agriculture background, weakness or absence of extension
services that deal with the specific needs of the new lands, poor agricultural credit
and low input supply. Additionally, other problems exist in the new lands, namely
degradation of soils through salinity and alkalinity. The high evapotranspiration rate
and/or combination with high groundwater level in some areas cause salinity accumulation, especially in the northern part of the Nile Delta (Mohamedin et al. 2011).
3 Egypt Faces Water Deficiency, and Food Insufficiency
Uneven distribution of the population exists in Egypt, where they are living on only
4% of the total area. The recent census statistics revealed that around 43% of the
population lives in Lower Egypt (Port Said, Suez, Ismailia, Sharqia, Damietta,
Qalyubia, Gharbia, Menufyia, Kafr El- Sheikh, Behira, and Alexandria governorates). In the Greater Cairo (Cairo, Giza, and Qalubia governorates), around 25% of
the total population live. Around 22% of the total population inhibit Middle Egypt
(Fayoum, Beni Sweif, and Minia governorates), whereas around 16% of them
inhibit Upper Egypt governorates (Assuit, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan). Border
governorates, namely Marsa Matrouh, El-Wadi El-Gedid, Red sea, North Sinai and
South Sinai have very low population, less than 2% of the total population.
Reclamation of new lands provides an opportunity to absorb the increasing population and improving the demographic distribution of the country.
The high population growth rate put high pressure on the government of Egypt
to supply clean water for domestic use and for agriculture to produce food. Egypt
has passed the threshold of water scarcity and it reached the value of 600 m
3
/capita/
year (Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources 2014). Thus, Egypt is recently
transferred from the situation of water abundant to water deficiency.
Furthermore, because the Egyptian population is living on only 4% of Egypt area
and characterized with high growth rate, arable land per capita was reduced from
0.09 hectare in 1961 to 0.03 hectares in 2016. Land holdings in Egypt are very
small, with 89% of land holdings smaller than 1.3 hectares (FAO 2015).
3.6 Irrigated Agriculture and Food Production
Irrigated agriculture is the main contributor in food production in Egypt, which consumed 85% of its water resources. Surface irrigation is the prevailing system in the
old lands with 50–60% water application efficiency on farm level. Farmers are used
to plant crops in basins, where they broadcast seeds, or they plant seeds on furrows.
This practice results in application of a large amount of irrigation water. Under furrow irrigation, water runoff could cause soil erosion and loss in fertility (Sojka et al.
2007). In addition, fertilizer leaching is also a consequence of application of large
irrigation amounts, causing groundwater pollution (Abouelenein et al. 2010).
In the new lands, sprinkler and drip systems are prevailing and surface irrigation
is prohibited by the law. Small areas of the new lands irrigated using canals originated from the Nile River, but most of the new lands irrigated using groundwater.
Nevertheless, the revenue obtained from most of the already reclaimed areas is low
compared to its full potential due to inefficient use of land and water resources,
inferior or absence of agriculture background, weakness or absence of extension
services that deal with the specific needs of the new lands, poor agricultural credit
and low input supply. Additionally, other problems exist in the new lands, namely
degradation of soils through salinity and alkalinity. The high evapotranspiration rate
and/or combination with high groundwater level in some areas cause salinity accumulation, especially in the northern part of the Nile Delta (Mohamedin et al. 2011).
3 Egypt Faces Water Deficiency, and Food Insufficiency