Egypt is Building $5.2bn Artificial River Parallel to the Nile River

 

Egypt is Building $5.2bn Artificial River Parallel to the Nile River

In Egypt, the government has also been constructing 30 water lifting stations and a mega tertiary wastewater treatment project, Al Hamam plant, to guarantee a sustainable water source. The plant can treat 7.5 million cubic meters of agricultural wastewater per day, which, according to the Water Resources and Irrigation Minister, is the world's largest agricultural drainage project. Its water is enough to cover a large part of the New Delta project. The Watercourse consists of an open canal, while the smaller part is made up of pipes buried in the sand for the treatment and lifting of water.

 

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said the agricultural wastewater, which previously poured down in drains, is collected and triple treated. 'We are talking about 30 water lifting stations, each of which is a great engineering feat as they collect drain water against the natural slope of the land,' al-Sisi said. The Watercourse aims to strengthen food security, reduce the import gap of strategic commodities, support activities related to agriculture such as livestock and poultry, agricultural processing, and establish agricultural and industrial complexes that link agriculture, the manufacturing industry, and trade.

 

Egypt expects to increase production of strategic grain crops by between 10 to 15 percent of the current gross agricultural product, especially wheat and corn, as well as vegetables, fruits, and industrial crops.

 

Despite the objectives of the scheme, criticism has been levied against its Watercourse, whose productive capacity will be 10 million cubic meters of water. The debate links the project to the uncertain fate of Egypt's sole source of water, the River Nile. The African Union-sponsored negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Addis Ababa has been building since 2011 on the Blue Nile and where more than 95 percent of Egypt's renewable waters flow from, collapsed in April 2021. All attempts to revive the negotiations have since failed, while Ethiopia is getting ready to unilaterally fill the 74 billion cubic meter reservoir for the fourth time.

 

Egypt says the annual share of water has reached 500 cubic meters per person, at a time when the United Nations defines water scarcity at one thousand cubic meters of water per person a year. A professor of land and water resources at Cairo University believes that some news outlets have tried to exaggerate the achievement, dubbing it the world's largest man-made river, which hinted that there is a waste of water. Stressing the Watercourse is merely a canal delivering treated water to the west of the country for use in agricultural operations, he also said it could have been called the extension of the Hamam Canal or the Metro Canal. But dubbing it the largest man-made river allowed Ethiopian and opposition TV channels abroad to fish in troubled waters and to cast doubt that Egypt suffers from water scarcity.

 

The Irrigation Minister, however, said the project shows the world how Egypt is keen not to waste water because it is trying to benefit from every drop by reusing agricultural wastewater after treatment safely in agriculture. During his speech at the UN 2023 Water Conference held in New York, he noted that Egypt has a water deficit of up to 55% of its water needs, which is 120 billion cubic meters. Egypt is making huge investments to raise the efficiency of its water system, which exceeded 10 billion dollars during the previous Five-Year Plan. However, it also reuses water several times in this framework and is forced to trade in huge food imports worth about 15 billion dollars.

 

The Western desert's groundwater and wells are very salty in these areas, and the salinity rate reaches 10,000 parts per million. He also noted that the project's first phase, by which 600,000 faddans will be cultivated, places no burden on the Nile water. Egypt is the only country among the Nile Basin countries that import 65 percent of its basic food needs, adding that most of them enjoy self-sufficiency of crops. During the past 70 years, Egypt lost about 2.5 million feddans of agricultural lands as a result of urban expansion and desertification. Egypt is also one of the countries most affected by climate change, noting that it is suffering water scarcity, high temperature, erosion, and saltwater intrusion into fresh water, which in turn will badly affect its most fertile lands.

 

The water resources of the country include 55.5 billion cubic meters coming from the Nile, 1.3 billion cubic meters from rainfall, and 2.4 billion cubic meters from underground sources. Egypt receives a limited amount of rainfall that cannot be relied on, and the government cannot rely on underground water as it is non-renewable. Hence, the government is working on reusing agricultural water. The country, whose current population is estimated at 104.7 million and is expected to exceed 150 million by 2050, overcomes water scarcity by importing 54% of its virtual water, which is the embedded water required to produce commodities, and reusing 42 percent of its renewable water as per its National Water Resources plan.

 

The 50 billion dollars 20-year scheme aims to optimize water use by recycling agricultural wastewater and groundwater. It seeks to improve water quality and to bring additional water resources. The plan encompasses wastewater treatment, desalination of seawater, and an overhaul of agricultural irrigation systems. It also involves opening desalination and water treatment plants, such as the Bar Albacar plant in Port Said, hailed as the world's largest, as well as rehabilitating irrigation canals, improving water management and distribution, and reducing wastage.

 

In conclusion, Egypt's ambitious project to construct a 5.2 billion dollars artificial river parallel to the Nile River represents a bold step toward addressing the nation's water security and agricultural challenges. This innovative initiative demonstrates Egypt's determination to tackle issues related to water scarcity and create a more sustainable future by diversifying its water resources. The country aims to safeguard its agricultural sector, enhance economic development, and secure a better livelihood for its citizens. While the project's success will undoubtedly depend on various factors, its potential to augment the nation's water supply and mitigate the impacts of water shortages is a significant stride toward ensuring Egypt's prosperity and resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions.

 

Authorities say the river will help expand agricultural land and reduce the need to import food and wheat. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year drove a global surge in wheat prices, leaving Egypt struggling as it is the world's biggest wheat importer. Russia and Ukraine supplied Egypt with 80 percent of its wheat imports in 2021.

 

Authorities have said that water for the artificial river will come from recycled agricultural drainage and groundwater. Egypt is facing a water scarcity crisis, and UNICEF has said that the country will run out of water by 2025.