Update, Conclusions, and Recommendations …
289
study the human impact on water and environmental sustainability, because environmental and socioeconomic changes observed in Dakhla Oasis are complex
phenomena caused by human and water interactions.
In guise of “Update”, the rest of this Section overviews the ongoing land
reclamation projects in the desert areas that are expected to assure Egypt’s food
security.
According to the MIIC (Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation),
the 1.5 Million Feddan (1 feddan = 1.03784 acre, 1 feddan =4200 sq.m, and 1 acre
= 4046.86 sq.m) Project aims to increase the agricultural land by 20% by converting
desert lands to agricultural lands such as Farafra Oasis, Toshka, El Moghra, and West
of Minya regions, in accordance with the Egypt Vision 2030 (Ministry of Investment
and International Cooperation).
1 Its goal is to to reduce the food gap and increase
the populated area through the creation of new urban communities.
The Egyptian Countryside Development Company, a holding company established by the ministries, is in charge of this project, and sells or leases the reclaimed
lands to the investors (Egyptian Countryside Development Company).
It was inaugurated in December 2015 by President El-Sisi as one of three megaprojects in Egypt (Suez Canal extension project, New Capital project). The development
areas can be grouped into four categories, based on the hydrogeological setting
and the intended source of water; Post-Nubian Aquifer System, Nubian Sandstone
Aquifer, Moghra Aquifer and the Nile Aquifer. The government will implement the
1.5 Million Feddan Project on three stages, 500,000 feddans completed in October
2015, as the first phase, over the cities of Farafra and Toshka in the New Valley Governorate and Moghra in Matrouh Governorate (Egypt Today 2019, July 2). Second stage
is, New Farafra, West Kom Ombo, West Minya, East Siwa, and Dakhla Extension.
The third stage is: Old Farafra, West Minya and El-Tor (Ministry of Agriculture and
Land Reclamation 2018).
Recently, Egyptian Countryside Development Company approved to sell 900,000
feddans to 14 companies belonging to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Cyprus,
Greece and Spain in the zones such as Farafra, West Minya, Moghra south to Alamein,
and Toshka. The land will be delivered to the companies after operating infrastructure
facilities and paving roads (Egypt Today 2019, February 5).
To reclaim the desert, land requires drilling of wells to discharge groundwater
from Nubian Aquifer which inhabitants of Dakhla Oasis depend upon. The Ministry
of Irrigation and Water Resources announced in December 2015 that the project
includes digging over five thousand water wells for a total cost of EGP 6 billion
($766 million), with 600 wells to be drilled in different areas of Egypt’s Western
Desert, including Moghra, Qattara Depression, Toshka region and Farafra Oasis
(Ahram 2015, December 14).
The Egyptian Government’s awareness about the sustainability of the Western
Desert can be seen in the banning by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
1 1 feddan equals 1.038 acres. 1.5 million feddan (1 feddan = 1.03784 acre, 1 feddan =4200 sq.m,
and 1 acre = 4046.86 sq.m) equals 630,000 ha (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service).
289
study the human impact on water and environmental sustainability, because environmental and socioeconomic changes observed in Dakhla Oasis are complex
phenomena caused by human and water interactions.
In guise of “Update”, the rest of this Section overviews the ongoing land
reclamation projects in the desert areas that are expected to assure Egypt’s food
security.
According to the MIIC (Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation),
the 1.5 Million Feddan (1 feddan = 1.03784 acre, 1 feddan =4200 sq.m, and 1 acre
= 4046.86 sq.m) Project aims to increase the agricultural land by 20% by converting
desert lands to agricultural lands such as Farafra Oasis, Toshka, El Moghra, and West
of Minya regions, in accordance with the Egypt Vision 2030 (Ministry of Investment
and International Cooperation).
1 Its goal is to to reduce the food gap and increase
the populated area through the creation of new urban communities.
The Egyptian Countryside Development Company, a holding company established by the ministries, is in charge of this project, and sells or leases the reclaimed
lands to the investors (Egyptian Countryside Development Company).
It was inaugurated in December 2015 by President El-Sisi as one of three megaprojects in Egypt (Suez Canal extension project, New Capital project). The development
areas can be grouped into four categories, based on the hydrogeological setting
and the intended source of water; Post-Nubian Aquifer System, Nubian Sandstone
Aquifer, Moghra Aquifer and the Nile Aquifer. The government will implement the
1.5 Million Feddan Project on three stages, 500,000 feddans completed in October
2015, as the first phase, over the cities of Farafra and Toshka in the New Valley Governorate and Moghra in Matrouh Governorate (Egypt Today 2019, July 2). Second stage
is, New Farafra, West Kom Ombo, West Minya, East Siwa, and Dakhla Extension.
The third stage is: Old Farafra, West Minya and El-Tor (Ministry of Agriculture and
Land Reclamation 2018).
Recently, Egyptian Countryside Development Company approved to sell 900,000
feddans to 14 companies belonging to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Cyprus,
Greece and Spain in the zones such as Farafra, West Minya, Moghra south to Alamein,
and Toshka. The land will be delivered to the companies after operating infrastructure
facilities and paving roads (Egypt Today 2019, February 5).
To reclaim the desert, land requires drilling of wells to discharge groundwater
from Nubian Aquifer which inhabitants of Dakhla Oasis depend upon. The Ministry
of Irrigation and Water Resources announced in December 2015 that the project
includes digging over five thousand water wells for a total cost of EGP 6 billion
($766 million), with 600 wells to be drilled in different areas of Egypt’s Western
Desert, including Moghra, Qattara Depression, Toshka region and Farafra Oasis
(Ahram 2015, December 14).
The Egyptian Government’s awareness about the sustainability of the Western
Desert can be seen in the banning by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
1 1 feddan equals 1.038 acres. 1.5 million feddan (1 feddan = 1.03784 acre, 1 feddan =4200 sq.m,
and 1 acre = 4046.86 sq.m) equals 630,000 ha (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service).