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Egypt sustains a rapidly growing population of around 100 million people (Census 2019). The country, which presents just a 4% of arable lands, is now facing some of the upcoming biggest challenges in its history.
The Nile Delta, which is around 24.900 km2, holds a 65% of the country´s agricultural land and is home to about a third of total Egypt´s population. Consequently plays an important role in the country´s primary resource basis and economy. But its current situation could be worsening due to different threats.
Water gap in Egypt will probably reach 21 billion m3 by the year 2025. As population increases. Reclaimed areas for agriculture are being created in the desert and a 95% of the agricultural areas are irrigated in the country. Water-wise conflict could escalate even without Climate Change, and the country will face an explosive situation (El-Raey, 1999)
Produced municipal wastewater was estimated at 7 078 million m³ in 2012, up from 3 760 million m³ in 2001. Around 92 percent of this amount is collected and 57 percent, or 4 013 million m³, is treated (FAO). Finally, 1 300 million m³ of treated municipal wastewater is directly used in 2010 (MEA, 2012).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt has already several projects to try to mitigate partly the situation described above creating measures for land reclamation, water reuse and agriculture. The forest plantations irrigated with treated waste water and located in the desert are one of the meassures taken by the Ministry, but its sustainability could be worsening in the close future.
Among other threats, we would like to highlight the lack of cutting-edge technology related to selviculture or enough number of computers or laptops, which makes the management of these plantations more difficult and less precise.
Thanks to Labdoo, we were able to donate two laptops to the Agricultural Research Center. One of them was destinated to the headquarters of the Agricultural Research Center in Cairo, in the afforestation department to be used by the researchers of the department. They felt thankful and specially interested in the possibility to use the excel tool. The other one was donated to the forest plantation of Ismailia, to serve to the manager and workers, to keep track of the growth and height meassurements, and other selvicultural records necessary to maintain better control of the trees and irrigation among others monitoring necessities. We would like to highlight the gratitude expressed by the workers, and the high interest in how to use the laptop. Different pictures were taken directly in the plantation, trying to represent how important is to have such equipment in the day by day management. We were invited to have lunch in appreciation for the solidarity done by Labdoo.
We would like to share that greatfulness expressed by researchers and workers with all the labdoo team, the teacher Ferran García and the students of Vedruna Vilafranca and it´s porter lodge service because without their interest and free sense of cooperation, making possible the delivery of the laptops, we were not be able to donate such important tool to contribute a bit to the better care of the forest plantations of Egypt.
Date it was last updated: 24/01/19