The Egyptian Western Desert: Water,
Agriculture and Culture of Oasis
Communities
Soher Hussen Ibrahem Mohamed
Abstract In this chapter, the author will show the cases of oasis communities in
the Western Desert in Egypt. The importance of these communities has risen, especially after the expansion of construction on agricultural lands in the Delta region,
thereby reducing the size of its agricultural areas. This, in turn, meant resorting
to shifting agricultural activities to the Western Desert. The author has done a
series of studies and social and anthropological research on these areas that are
economically promising , especially with regard to agricultural and tourism activities.
Keywords Local communities characteristics · Dakhla–Kharga · Oases of Western
Desert · Oasis culture
1 Introduction
This chapter shows the cases of oasis communities in the Western Desert in
Egypt. These oasis communities include, Siwa Oasis about 300 km south from
Matruh Governorate, Bahariya Oasis about 365 km away from Giza Governorate.
New Valley Governorate contains the rest of the Western Desert Oases, including
Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga, and Baris Oases. The Western Desert Oases occupy an area
of more than two-thirds of the total area of the desert, which is 68% of the Egyptian
desert. Figure 1 shows these oases.
The importance of these communities has risen especially after the expansion of
construction on agricultural land in the Delta region, consequently, reducing the size
of its agricultural areas. This, in turn, meant shifting agricultural activities to the
Western Desert. In addition, there is a limited amount of social and anthropological studies and research conducted on these promising areas especially in terms of
agriculture and tourism activities.
Without a doubt, the anthropological and social research and studies on desert
communities are of great scientific value. Such scientific resources have a vital role in
S. H. I. Mohamed (B)
Sociology and Anthropology Department, Faculty of Arts, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_2
13
Agriculture and Culture of Oasis
Communities
Soher Hussen Ibrahem Mohamed
Abstract In this chapter, the author will show the cases of oasis communities in
the Western Desert in Egypt. The importance of these communities has risen, especially after the expansion of construction on agricultural lands in the Delta region,
thereby reducing the size of its agricultural areas. This, in turn, meant resorting
to shifting agricultural activities to the Western Desert. The author has done a
series of studies and social and anthropological research on these areas that are
economically promising , especially with regard to agricultural and tourism activities.
Keywords Local communities characteristics · Dakhla–Kharga · Oases of Western
Desert · Oasis culture
1 Introduction
This chapter shows the cases of oasis communities in the Western Desert in
Egypt. These oasis communities include, Siwa Oasis about 300 km south from
Matruh Governorate, Bahariya Oasis about 365 km away from Giza Governorate.
New Valley Governorate contains the rest of the Western Desert Oases, including
Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga, and Baris Oases. The Western Desert Oases occupy an area
of more than two-thirds of the total area of the desert, which is 68% of the Egyptian
desert. Figure 1 shows these oases.
The importance of these communities has risen especially after the expansion of
construction on agricultural land in the Delta region, consequently, reducing the size
of its agricultural areas. This, in turn, meant shifting agricultural activities to the
Western Desert. In addition, there is a limited amount of social and anthropological studies and research conducted on these promising areas especially in terms of
agriculture and tourism activities.
Without a doubt, the anthropological and social research and studies on desert
communities are of great scientific value. Such scientific resources have a vital role in
S. H. I. Mohamed (B)
Sociology and Anthropology Department, Faculty of Arts, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_2
13