Rice Production in Egypt: The Challenges of Climate Change …
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its allocation is likely to decline. Unless it goes on a large-scale modification of its
inefficient water networks, Egypt could go through upcoming major water crises that
could cause conflicts with its neighbors [50].
Currently, major challenge confronting Egypt is the crucial need for better development and management of the available restricted resources of water, land, and
energy to face the needs of population growth [48]. The decreasing availability and
increasing costs of water menace the traditional way of cultivated rice under irrigated conditions. Hence, due to the increasing deficiency of water for agriculture and
competition from non-agriculture sectors, there is an urgent calling for better understanding water use efficiency in irrigated agricultural ecosystems [10]. In addition
to environmental and demand pressures and potential conflict, the Nile is threatened
by many environmental stresses, such as climate change, pollution, and degradation.
Climate change will put sever challenges for the Nile, including decreased river flow,
land degradation, the increased droughts and floods probability, and rising rates of
disease. Dam establishment on the Nile is responsible for watershed land degradation.
Population growth models in Egypt and upstream Nile countries, such as Uganda
and Ethiopia, will undoubtedly cause future environmental issues such as raising in
municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes. Egypt has depleted the Nile’s water
resources by overdrawing its share, through projects such as the desert reclamation
in the Toshka Depression and the Sinai Desert by the Al-Salam Canal system [50].
7.1 Water Deficiency Due to Climate Change
Agricultural sector is one of the main water consuming sectors. The water used
for agriculture has reached about 59.30 BCM in 2009/2010. Under conditions of climate change, required water to irrigate various crops are expected to increase to about
61.8 BCM in 2024/2025 as a direct impact of high temperature. This will be associated with high efficiency of using water by some crops because of the increasing
concentration of CO 2 [49]. Hence, the issue of water deficiency in Egypt, associated with its probable exacerbating factors such as economic, population and food
demand growth, climate change and the current debate over the share of the Nile’s
water among its ten basin countries) is widely documented in the recent literature
[51]. Climate change is impacting the Mediterranean region in myriad and distinct
ways such as sea level rise, increased frequency of flash flood events, droughts, or
periods of water shortage and rising temperatures. Observed trends and projections
for the future indicate a strong vulnerability to changes in hydrological regimes, an
increasing shortage of water resources and following threats to water availability and
management [5].
Population growth and economic development are motivating significant raise in
agricultural and industrial water demand. Water use in agriculture accounts for more
than two-thirds globally, including as much as 90% in developing countries. Much
of the demand is resulting from expected increases in the world population from 6.6
billion to about 8 billion by 2030 and more than 9 billion by 2050. Climate change
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its allocation is likely to decline. Unless it goes on a large-scale modification of its
inefficient water networks, Egypt could go through upcoming major water crises that
could cause conflicts with its neighbors [50].
Currently, major challenge confronting Egypt is the crucial need for better development and management of the available restricted resources of water, land, and
energy to face the needs of population growth [48]. The decreasing availability and
increasing costs of water menace the traditional way of cultivated rice under irrigated conditions. Hence, due to the increasing deficiency of water for agriculture and
competition from non-agriculture sectors, there is an urgent calling for better understanding water use efficiency in irrigated agricultural ecosystems [10]. In addition
to environmental and demand pressures and potential conflict, the Nile is threatened
by many environmental stresses, such as climate change, pollution, and degradation.
Climate change will put sever challenges for the Nile, including decreased river flow,
land degradation, the increased droughts and floods probability, and rising rates of
disease. Dam establishment on the Nile is responsible for watershed land degradation.
Population growth models in Egypt and upstream Nile countries, such as Uganda
and Ethiopia, will undoubtedly cause future environmental issues such as raising in
municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes. Egypt has depleted the Nile’s water
resources by overdrawing its share, through projects such as the desert reclamation
in the Toshka Depression and the Sinai Desert by the Al-Salam Canal system [50].
7.1 Water Deficiency Due to Climate Change
Agricultural sector is one of the main water consuming sectors. The water used
for agriculture has reached about 59.30 BCM in 2009/2010. Under conditions of climate change, required water to irrigate various crops are expected to increase to about
61.8 BCM in 2024/2025 as a direct impact of high temperature. This will be associated with high efficiency of using water by some crops because of the increasing
concentration of CO 2 [49]. Hence, the issue of water deficiency in Egypt, associated with its probable exacerbating factors such as economic, population and food
demand growth, climate change and the current debate over the share of the Nile’s
water among its ten basin countries) is widely documented in the recent literature
[51]. Climate change is impacting the Mediterranean region in myriad and distinct
ways such as sea level rise, increased frequency of flash flood events, droughts, or
periods of water shortage and rising temperatures. Observed trends and projections
for the future indicate a strong vulnerability to changes in hydrological regimes, an
increasing shortage of water resources and following threats to water availability and
management [5].
Population growth and economic development are motivating significant raise in
agricultural and industrial water demand. Water use in agriculture accounts for more
than two-thirds globally, including as much as 90% in developing countries. Much
of the demand is resulting from expected increases in the world population from 6.6
billion to about 8 billion by 2030 and more than 9 billion by 2050. Climate change