Climate change and poor water resource practices present a challenge to Egypt’s water sector. More than 70 per cent of Egypt’s 30 million poor people live in rural areas where agriculture is their main source of livelihoods. Poor rural people depend directly or indirectly on the Nile River for irrigation. Research indicates that current water supply will not meet future demands. Population growth, industrialization, increasing pollution and poor water resource management significantly contribute this a growing problem.

The On-farm Irrigation Development Project in the Oldlands aims to put in place mechanisms to ensure efficient use of water resources. The project will reach  villages in the Upper Egypt governorates of Assiut, Qena and Sohag, and the Lower Egypt governorates of Kafr El-Sheikh and Beheira.

Oldlands are in the Nile Valley and Delta. This area includes the land that was claimed from the desert many generations ago and has been intensively cultivated.

The project will improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers cultivating an average  of 3 feddans of land, landless labourers, unemployed young people and women-headed households. Project investments are expected to generate seasonal and part-time work for more than poor rural 21,000 men and women.

Project activities focus on:

• setting up and training about 230 new water users’ associations to ensure community participation in all decisions related to water use
• rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure at farm level that will serve around 12,000 hectares of land
• introduction of an improved water management system.
• training for marketing associations so that they enhance their technical, marketing and managerial abilities as well as their bargaining power to deal with traders and exporters
• Promotion of  employment and income-generation by supporting small businesses and micro-enterprises.
   

Source: IFAD