Climate Change, Agriculture and Rural Communities’ …
553
• Access to credit cooperative VEW: Alexandria and Ismailia have access to the
highest average number of VEW per credit cooperative, about 5 VEW,
22 whereas
it is lowest in Qalyubia and Gharbia with 1 VEW per cooperative. Dividing 800
feddan—average area of responsibility per VEW—by average landownership by
governorate, shows that one VEW in Alexandria and Ismailia must deal with about
160 and 130 farmers, while in Gharbia and Qalyubia one VEW deals with about
889 and 667 farmers respectively.
• Access to Formal Funds: The percentage of agricultural land benefitting from loans
from the Agricultural Bank is highest in Sharkia, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Alexandria
with about 25%, 20% and 16%, constituting about 200 thousand feddan, 115 thousand feddan, and 30 thousand feddan, while the lowest percentage is in Ismailia,
Qalyubia and Gharbia with about 4%, 5% and 7% respectively accounting for about
12 thousand feddan, 10 thousand feddan and 28 thousand feddan in 2015/16.
Though Kafr El-Sheikh and Damietta are to experience the highest area and working days’ reductions and Alexandria and Ismailia are to experience the largest field
crop’s production and net value reductions. However, the most vulnerable governorate is determined based on the above review of governorates and farmers’ assets.
Thus, the most vulnerable governorate to climate change impacts in the Nile Delta
would be Beheira as it has the lowest adaptive capacity compared to the rest of
the governorates in the Nile Delta. Beheira has the highest percentage of rural population, high illiteracy and poverty rates, in addition to the high total and female
agricultural engagement, which indicates that climate change impacts—reduction of
field crops’ production and net value—on agriculture would have severe impacts on
rural livelihoods.
Furthermore, on the national level, the impact of climate change on Beheira governorate is also to be higher compared to Alexandria and Ismailia. The rural population in Beheira represents 9.2% of Egypt’s rural population, while in Alexandria
and Ismailia the rural population accounts for 0.12% and 1.32% of Egypt’s rural
population respectively. The percentage of landowners in Beheira accounts for 11%
of total landowners in Egypt owning 12% of the agricultural land in Egypt, while
landowners in Alexandria and Ismailia account only for about 0.8 and 1% of total
landowners in Egypt owning about 2% and 3% of the agricultural land in Egypt.
Moreover, the total loss of field crops production in Alexandria and Ismailia would
be about 340 thousand and 250 thousand tons, while in Beheira the loss would equal
about 1 million tons. Consequently, the decrease of the field crops net value in
Alexandria and Ismailia would be about LE370 million and LE260 million (US$84
million for Alexandria and Ismailia), while in Beheira the reduction would be about
LE920 million (about US$123 million).
23 Therefore, the impact of climate change
22 However, large farms would depend more on private extension workers—to access agricultural
information and technologies for the cultivation of high value crops for local and international
markets—that provide the service against a fee (GFAAS; [87] since the public extension workers
do not have the necessary advanced expertize for more specialized production [24].
23 Calculation are based on the 7.5 exchange rate of 2015.
553
• Access to credit cooperative VEW: Alexandria and Ismailia have access to the
highest average number of VEW per credit cooperative, about 5 VEW,
22 whereas
it is lowest in Qalyubia and Gharbia with 1 VEW per cooperative. Dividing 800
feddan—average area of responsibility per VEW—by average landownership by
governorate, shows that one VEW in Alexandria and Ismailia must deal with about
160 and 130 farmers, while in Gharbia and Qalyubia one VEW deals with about
889 and 667 farmers respectively.
• Access to Formal Funds: The percentage of agricultural land benefitting from loans
from the Agricultural Bank is highest in Sharkia, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Alexandria
with about 25%, 20% and 16%, constituting about 200 thousand feddan, 115 thousand feddan, and 30 thousand feddan, while the lowest percentage is in Ismailia,
Qalyubia and Gharbia with about 4%, 5% and 7% respectively accounting for about
12 thousand feddan, 10 thousand feddan and 28 thousand feddan in 2015/16.
Though Kafr El-Sheikh and Damietta are to experience the highest area and working days’ reductions and Alexandria and Ismailia are to experience the largest field
crop’s production and net value reductions. However, the most vulnerable governorate is determined based on the above review of governorates and farmers’ assets.
Thus, the most vulnerable governorate to climate change impacts in the Nile Delta
would be Beheira as it has the lowest adaptive capacity compared to the rest of
the governorates in the Nile Delta. Beheira has the highest percentage of rural population, high illiteracy and poverty rates, in addition to the high total and female
agricultural engagement, which indicates that climate change impacts—reduction of
field crops’ production and net value—on agriculture would have severe impacts on
rural livelihoods.
Furthermore, on the national level, the impact of climate change on Beheira governorate is also to be higher compared to Alexandria and Ismailia. The rural population in Beheira represents 9.2% of Egypt’s rural population, while in Alexandria
and Ismailia the rural population accounts for 0.12% and 1.32% of Egypt’s rural
population respectively. The percentage of landowners in Beheira accounts for 11%
of total landowners in Egypt owning 12% of the agricultural land in Egypt, while
landowners in Alexandria and Ismailia account only for about 0.8 and 1% of total
landowners in Egypt owning about 2% and 3% of the agricultural land in Egypt.
Moreover, the total loss of field crops production in Alexandria and Ismailia would
be about 340 thousand and 250 thousand tons, while in Beheira the loss would equal
about 1 million tons. Consequently, the decrease of the field crops net value in
Alexandria and Ismailia would be about LE370 million and LE260 million (US$84
million for Alexandria and Ismailia), while in Beheira the reduction would be about
LE920 million (about US$123 million).
23 Therefore, the impact of climate change
22 However, large farms would depend more on private extension workers—to access agricultural
information and technologies for the cultivation of high value crops for local and international
markets—that provide the service against a fee (GFAAS; [87] since the public extension workers
do not have the necessary advanced expertize for more specialized production [24].
23 Calculation are based on the 7.5 exchange rate of 2015.