Egypt has limited water resources.  It depends mainly on the Nile water with an annual share 55.5 km3/yr.  Although, the water resources in Egypt equaled about 70.9 km3 in 2007,most of them were indirectly related to the Nile water; most of the groundwater from the Nile valley and Delta, reuse of agricultural drainage water, and treated wastewater.  Thus, the Nile water represents about 97% of the available water resources in Egypt.

The water volume which reaches Nasser Lake changes from year to year with an actual average of about 84.6 km3/yr.  The Nile River flow sometimes decreases under its actual average especially during drought periods causing a big drought problem in East Africa regions and a critical water shortage in Egypt.

The study tried to estimate the Storage Water Volume (SWV) in Nasser Lake in a given year which increases due to the following factors:

       1- The storage water volume in the pervious year WV (n-1)

2- The water volume from the new flood in the given Year WV (n) 

While, other factors decrease the storage water volume in the lake:

  1- The lost water volume via Evaporation during one year WV (EW)

       2- The seepage water during one year WV (SW)

       3- The water volume released to Toshka canal during one year WV (TC)

       4- The water volume released to Toshka spillway in case the water level in Nasser Lake is higher than 178m WV(TS).  It locates at 250 km in South of High Aswan Dam.                                 

       5- The water volume released to the Nile River at Aswan for irrigation and other purposes in Egypt during one year WV (E)

       6- The water volume released to Sudan as its share during one year WV(S)

Based upon the mentioned factors, it is possible to estimate the storage water volume in Nasser Lake in a given year (SWV (n)) via the following equation:

 

SWV (n) = WV (n-1) +WV (n) – WV (EW+SW+TC+TS+E+S)

 

Egypt can invest the North coast region whose average rainfall is around 200mm/yr to cultivate some winter crops.  The proposed canal can provide supplementary irrigation water for these crops especially when rainfall is small or not enough.  The landmines related to World War II spread along this region and impede socio-economic development.

On the other hand, water demand has increased rapidly in Egypt.  Total demand for water increased from 49.8 km3 in 1986 to 77 km3 in 2007 due to the increases in agriculture, sanitary and drinking, and industry sectors.  It is expected to continue to increase in the future.  Because of the importance of agricultural water demand (77% of total water demand in 2007), the study focused on the main factors which cause the considerable increase in it.  Both the agricultural expansion and the water losses from irrigation network are major factors for increasing the agricultural demand of water.  Egypt aims to reclaim about 3.8 M/F by 2017.  On the other hand, there is a huge amount of lost water through irrigation network due to the evaporation in the Nile River and canals, the spreading of aquatic weeds, the seepage of water during the distribution of irrigation water, and lack of the lining and regular cleaning especially in small canals.

It is possible to measure the efficiency of irrigation water use in different regions in Egypt by examining some economic and technical indicators for some summer, winter, and Nili crops.  However, in order to judge the efficiency of irrigation water use in a region, it is necessary to use more than one indicator because some indicators are technical and others are economic.  In addition, there are variations between indicators values.  The indicators are necessary to put a rational agricultural policy.  This policy should determine: which crops can be produced via using the limited available water?  How does the policy use this irrigation water to maximize the agricultural income?  How is the irrigation water used in the production of certain crops in order to produce the maximum amount of them?  Which areas in Egypt are better in efficiency of irrigation water use in different crops?

The government should stop rice exports to push farmers to decrease its cultivated area to save irrigation water.  In addition, it is recommended to take action against farmers who cultivate rice in Middle Egypt till they stop cultivating it also to save more irrigation water.  It is possible to save more than 1.2 km3 of irrigation water if Egypt decreases the sugarcane area by 50%.  In this case, Egypt can depend on external markets to import the extra required sugar.  Egypt encourages farmers continually to expand wheat cultivation.  It should apply the same policy to decrease the gap between the consumption and production of wheat.  Consequently, the amount of wheat imports will be decreased.  It is important to encourage the Egyptian farmers to extend cotton production.  It is very important if Egypt intends to continue in both textile industry and cotton export.

 The study suggests two scenarios for cropping pattern change.  They depend on decreasing areas of high summer and winter crops in irrigation water use including sugarcane, rice, clover, and sugar beet.  On the other hand, dividing their decreasing areas to increase areas of high summer and winter crops in net return which include peanut, potato, summer tomato, garlic, onion, and winter tomato.  The first scenario saves about 1.5 km3 of irrigation water, and gets extra net return about 1.8 Milliard EGP compared with the actual cropping pattern for the mentioned crops in 2007.  While the second scenario saves about 3 km3 of irrigation water, and gets extra net return of about 3.6 Milliard EGP compared with the mentioned cropping pattern.   In order to apply these proposed scenarios, Egypt must overcome some difficulties.  The farmers see that they cultivate crops which are best for them such as sugarcane and sugar beet.  These crops are easy marketing by contracting with factories of sugar production.   In addition, some farmers depend on the rice as a staple food in their meals.  Consequently, they can not change to cultivate other crops.  On the other hand, the proposed crops suffer from some marketing difficulties.  There are fluctuations in prices of some proposed crops in Egyptian markets such as tomato, onion, and garlic.  In addition, these crops have not enough available factories.

Water resources management in Egypt has historically been very centralized, fragmented, and sector oriented.  The cooperation between stakeholders requires developing the institutional system related to water management.  It requires also appropriate ways to coordinate policy making, and management across sectors. 

The inadequacy of institutional framework related to water resources management can be summarized to include lack of sufficient coordination between MWRI and other relevant ministries, lack of adequate information and communication among the different institutions and stakeholders, and decision making process in MWRI goes through different levels in a centralized model.

The advanced water management needs the support of an adequate legal framework.  Although, there are many laws that concerning water resources issues in Egypt, they suffer from important aspects of legislation deficiency.  Those aspects are that the laws are weak against transgression on irrigation and drainage networks, there is no announced policy for groundwater, and the areas of groundwater fields are not declared as protected areas against pollution and over pumping, as well as there are no adequate legislations for the participation of the private sector in water management and water services.

Egypt has limited water resources.  It depends mainly on the Nile water with an annual share 55.5 km3/yr.  Although, the water resources in Egypt equaled about 70.9 km3 in 2007,most of them were indirectly related to the Nile water; most of the groundwater from the Nile valley and Delta, reuse of agricultural drainage water, and treated wastewater.  Thus, the Nile water represents about 97% of the available water resources in Egypt.

The water volume which reaches Nasser Lake changes from year to year with an actual average of about 84.6 km3/yr.  The Nile River flow sometimes decreases under its actual average especially during drought periods causing a big drought problem in East Africa regions and a critical water shortage in Egypt.

The study tried to estimate the Storage Water Volume (SWV) in Nasser Lake in a given year which increases due to the following factors:

       1- The storage water volume in the pervious year WV (n-1)

2- The water volume from the new flood in the given Year WV (n) 

While, other factors decrease the storage water volume in the lake:

  1- The lost water volume via Evaporation during one year WV (EW)

       2- The seepage water during one year WV (SW)

       3- The water volume released to Toshka canal during one year WV (TC)

       4- The water volume released to Toshka spillway in case the water level in Nasser Lake is higher than 178m WV(TS).  It locates at 250 km in South of High Aswan Dam.                                 

       5- The water volume released to the Nile River at Aswan for irrigation and other purposes in Egypt during one year WV (E)

       6- The water volume released to Sudan as its share during one year WV(S)

Based upon the mentioned factors, it is possible to estimate the storage water volume in Nasser Lake in a given year (SWV (n)) via the following equation:

 

SWV (n) = WV (n-1) +WV (n) – WV (EW+SW+TC+TS+E+S)

 

Egypt can invest the North coast region whose average rainfall is around 200mm/yr to cultivate some winter crops.  The proposed canal can provide supplementary irrigation water for these crops especially when rainfall is small or not enough.  The landmines related to World War II spread along this region and impede socio-economic development.

On the other hand, water demand has increased rapidly in Egypt.  Total demand for water increased from 49.8 km3 in 1986 to 77 km3 in 2007 due to the increases in agriculture, sanitary and drinking, and industry sectors.  It is expected to continue to increase in the future.  Because of the importance of agricultural water demand (77% of total water demand in 2007), the study focused on the main factors which cause the considerable increase in it.  Both the agricultural expansion and the water losses from irrigation network are major factors for increasing the agricultural demand of water.  Egypt aims to reclaim about 3.8 M/F by 2017.  On the other hand, there is a huge amount of lost water through irrigation network due to the evaporation in the Nile River and canals, the spreading of aquatic weeds, the seepage of water during the distribution of irrigation water, and lack of the lining and regular cleaning especially in small canals.

It is possible to measure the efficiency of irrigation water use in different regions in Egypt by examining some economic and technical indicators for some summer, winter, and Nili crops.  However, in order to judge the efficiency of irrigation water use in a region, it is necessary to use more than one indicator because some indicators are technical and others are economic.  In addition, there are variations between indicators values.  The indicators are necessary to put a rational agricultural policy.  This policy should determine: which crops can be produced via using the limited available water?  How does the policy use this irrigation water to maximize the agricultural income?  How is the irrigation water used in the production of certain crops in order to produce the maximum amount of them?  Which areas in Egypt are better in efficiency of irrigation water use in different crops?

The government should stop rice exports to push farmers to decrease its cultivated area to save irrigation water.  In addition, it is recommended to take action against farmers who cultivate rice in Middle Egypt till they stop cultivating it also to save more irrigation water.  It is possible to save more than 1.2 km3 of irrigation water if Egypt decreases the sugarcane area by 50%.  In this case, Egypt can depend on external markets to import the extra required sugar.  Egypt encourages farmers continually to expand wheat cultivation.  It should apply the same policy to decrease the gap between the consumption and production of wheat.  Consequently, the amount of wheat imports will be decreased.  It is important to encourage the Egyptian farmers to extend cotton production.  It is very important if Egypt intends to continue in both textile industry and cotton export.

 The study suggests two scenarios for cropping pattern change.  They depend on decreasing areas of high summer and winter crops in irrigation water use including sugarcane, rice, clover, and sugar beet.  On the other hand, dividing their decreasing areas to increase areas of high summer and winter crops in net return which include peanut, potato, summer tomato, garlic, onion, and winter tomato.  The first scenario saves about 1.5 km3 of irrigation water, and gets extra net return about 1.8 Milliard EGP compared with the actual cropping pattern for the mentioned crops in 2007.  While the second scenario saves about 3 km3 of irrigation water, and gets extra net return of about 3.6 Milliard EGP compared with the mentioned cropping pattern.   In order to apply these proposed scenarios, Egypt must overcome some difficulties.  The farmers see that they cultivate crops which are best for them such as sugarcane and sugar beet.  These crops are easy marketing by contracting with factories of sugar production.   In addition, some farmers depend on the rice as a staple food in their meals.  Consequently, they can not change to cultivate other crops.  On the other hand, the proposed crops suffer from some marketing difficulties.  There are fluctuations in prices of some proposed crops in Egyptian markets such as tomato, onion, and garlic.  In addition, these crops have not enough available factories.

Water resources management in Egypt has historically been very centralized, fragmented, and sector oriented.  The cooperation between stakeholders requires developing the institutional system related to water management.  It requires also appropriate ways to coordinate policy making, and management across sectors. 

The inadequacy of institutional framework related to water resources management can be summarized to include lack of sufficient coordination between MWRI and other relevant ministries, lack of adequate information and communication among the different institutions and stakeholders, and decision making process in MWRI goes through different levels in a centralized model.

The advanced water management needs the support of an adequate legal framework.  Although, there are many laws that concerning water resources issues in Egypt, they suffer from important aspects of legislation deficiency.  Those aspects are that the laws are weak against transgression on irrigation and drainage networks, there is no announced policy for groundwater, and the areas of groundwater fields are not declared as protected areas against pollution and over pumping, as well as there are no adequate legislations for the participation of the private sector in water management and water services.