More People, More Development

Egypt and population growth

Until 1975, very little attention had been given in Egypt to water resources beyond those coming from the prized Nile River and its tributaries.

After 1975, it became clear that water supply from the Nile was increasingly unable to meet the demands of the expanding urban populations, boosted by rising migrations from Egyptian rural areas to cities such as Cairo.

While population density in the Nile valley averages 1,500 people per sq km, the other 90% of Egypt’s land surface has a population density of only two people per sq km. Furthermore, 97% of the country lives on 4% of its land.

Pressure mounted on the government to adopt policies that would investigate alternative water resources and the high urban population densities. Current plans call for creating new cities and industrial areas in desert areas to make living space for over 20% of the country’s population. Sixteen new cities are now under development and 41 more are proposed. Given that groundwater was found to be the only primary source of water outside the reach of the Nile in the Egyptian desert, the role of groundwater gained increasing emphasis in national water policy-making. Soon, Egypt’s Western Desert became a key target area for population growth and regional development.

The Western Desert, also known as the Eastern or Egyptian Sahara, covers 68% of the country. The seven main depressions of the Egyptian Sahara are: Siwa and Qattara in the north; Fayoum further south, not far from Cairo; and Bahareya, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga respectively forming a sort of crescent opening towards the east further south. Its only source of freshwater is the NSAS lying directly beneath it. Historically, the area was characterized by scattered oases and depressions, home to thousands of traditional Bedouin farming families based on small scale, low intensity mixed subsistence agriculture that relied on springs and shallow wells.

An increased use of strategic groundwater reserves will also be used to supply new and expanding communities in the Western Desert, especially for agricultural purposes. Agriculture employs 40% of the country’s labour force and uses 95% of the country’s water. Through its National Water Resources Plan, Egypt intends to expand agricultural land area by 35% by 2017, improve water use efficiency and reduce pollution from agriculture.