Climate Change, Agriculture and Rural
Communities’ Vulnerability in the Nile
Delta
Dalia M. Gouda
Abstract Climate change is a global phenomenon that has different regional
impacts. Some countries and sectors are to be affected more than others, especially
those with inadequate adaptive capacities that would increase their vulnerability.
According to the climate change projections of potential impacts, Egypt and the Nile
Delta are to be affected. The effects of climatic changes are to be experienced more in
agriculture, which is to negatively affect rural communities. Meanwhile, agriculture
in Egypt and the Nile Delta is countering immediate socio-economic and natural
resources related challenges which continuation would exacerbate the impacts of
climate change. Therefore, the impacts of these challenges on agriculture in the Nile
Delta governorates, in terms of population growth, agricultural land fragmentation,
and urban expansion on agricultural land are reviewed. For the identification of the
impacts of climate change: temperature increase and sea-level rise (SLR) on agriculture in the Nile Delta governorates, the vulnerability assessment framework (VAF) is
used. Findings show that—immediate challenges—urban expansion on agricultural
land if not curbed, even without climate change, would severely impact agriculture and thus the national food security. Nevertheless, climate change would have
great impacts on agriculture and farmers in the Nile Delta, whereas some governorates are to be more vulnerable to the climate change stimuli than others depending on their exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacities. The chapter concludes
that more ‘context-specific’ attention needs to be directed towards agriculture in the
Nile Delta to preserve it—from man-made and environmental challenges—for future
generations.
Keywords Agriculture · Climate change · Nile Delta · Rural communities ·
Urbanization · Vulnerability assessment framework (VAF)
D. M. Gouda (B)
Socio-Economic Expert, Giza, Egypt
e-mail: Dalia.gouda@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
E.-S. E. Omran and A. M. Negm (eds.), Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture and Food
Security in Egypt, Springer Water, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41629-4_22
525
Communities’ Vulnerability in the Nile
Delta
Dalia M. Gouda
Abstract Climate change is a global phenomenon that has different regional
impacts. Some countries and sectors are to be affected more than others, especially
those with inadequate adaptive capacities that would increase their vulnerability.
According to the climate change projections of potential impacts, Egypt and the Nile
Delta are to be affected. The effects of climatic changes are to be experienced more in
agriculture, which is to negatively affect rural communities. Meanwhile, agriculture
in Egypt and the Nile Delta is countering immediate socio-economic and natural
resources related challenges which continuation would exacerbate the impacts of
climate change. Therefore, the impacts of these challenges on agriculture in the Nile
Delta governorates, in terms of population growth, agricultural land fragmentation,
and urban expansion on agricultural land are reviewed. For the identification of the
impacts of climate change: temperature increase and sea-level rise (SLR) on agriculture in the Nile Delta governorates, the vulnerability assessment framework (VAF) is
used. Findings show that—immediate challenges—urban expansion on agricultural
land if not curbed, even without climate change, would severely impact agriculture and thus the national food security. Nevertheless, climate change would have
great impacts on agriculture and farmers in the Nile Delta, whereas some governorates are to be more vulnerable to the climate change stimuli than others depending on their exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacities. The chapter concludes
that more ‘context-specific’ attention needs to be directed towards agriculture in the
Nile Delta to preserve it—from man-made and environmental challenges—for future
generations.
Keywords Agriculture · Climate change · Nile Delta · Rural communities ·
Urbanization · Vulnerability assessment framework (VAF)
D. M. Gouda (B)
Socio-Economic Expert, Giza, Egypt
e-mail: Dalia.gouda@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
E.-S. E. Omran and A. M. Negm (eds.), Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture and Food
Security in Egypt, Springer Water, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41629-4_22
525