Key Features of the Egypt’s Water and Agricultural Resources

Abstract

In Egypt, the estimated cultivated land (irrigated and rain-fed areas) is about 24,960 km2 from the total area of 1 million km2. There are four main agroecological zones that are identified as follows: (1) the North Coastal Belts, (2) the Nile Valley, (3) the Inland Sinai and the Eastern Desert, and (4) the Western Desert. Crop cultivation in Egypt takes place during three consecutive cropping seasons: the winter, summer, and nili (Kharif) seasons, depending on the irrigation rotation. At the same time, there are areas cultivated with annual crops, such as sugarcane and fruit trees. This crop diversification makes the total cropped area 13.7 million feddans, i.e., crop intensity of 172%. Concerning the land tenure structure in Egyptian agriculture, it is clear that fragmentation of the agricultural land is a major characteristic of Egyptian agriculture, especially in the old land. Such fragmentation has always had a negative impact on the rate of growth in the agricultural sector. Egyptian policymakers pay special attention on the agricultural sector for its importance in ensuring food security to the rapidly growing population through the vital activities, such as better utilization of agricultural resources, using drainage water reuse, reusing of treated wastewater, improving water use efficiency, managing groundwater resources, and developing a horizontal expansion area through reclaiming new lands.