TRANSBOUNDARY ANALYSIS COUNTRY REPORT EGYPT September 2006 WATERSHED MANAGMENT CRA CONTENTS ACCRONYMS....................................................................................................... v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................... vii 1. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Primary Objectives of the Watershed Management CRA ....................... 2 1.3 The Scope and Elements of Sustainable Watershed Management ........ 3 1.3.1 Watersheds and River Basins 3 1.3.2 Concepts and Approaches to "Watershed Management" 4 1.3.3 Approach Adopted to the Eastern Nile Watershed Management CRA 6 1.4 Scope and Purpose of the Transboundary Analysis Country Report ...... 7 1.5 Overview of Situation and Issues ........................................................... 8 2. NATIONAL SETTING – EGYPT ..................................................................... 10 2.1. Role of the agriculture sector: ................................................................... 10 2.2. Agricultural Economic Resources: ............................................................ 10 2.2.1. Water Resources: 11 2.2.2 Potentials of Developing Egypt’s Water Resources: 13 2.2.3 Land Resources: 14 2.2.4 Forest Resources 15 2.3 Human Resources: .................................................................................. 15 2.4 Institutional Framework......................................................................... 16 2.4.1 Responsibilities of Institutions with Responsibilities for Water Quality 16 2.4.2 Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) 16 2.4.3 Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) 17 2.4.4 Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) 17 2.4.5 Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communities (MHUNC) 18 2.4.6 Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR) ......................... 18 2.5 Policy Framework ................................................................................. 18 2.5.1 Egypt’s Agricultural policy up to 2017: 18 2.5.2 Water Policy 19 3. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LAKE NASSER/NUBIA ........................ 21 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 21 3.2 Physical Setting .................................................................................... 22 3.2.1 Relief and Drainage 22 3.2.2 Geology and Landscape 23 3.2.3 Land cover 26 3.2.4 Water Resources 28 3.2.5 Soil Types 29 3.3 Socio-economic Setting ........................................................................ 32 3.3.1 Administrative Structure and Population 32 COUNTRY REPORT - EGYPT ii WATERSHED MANAGMENT CRA 3.3.2 People and Livelihoods 34 3.4 Agriculture and Farming around Lake Nasser ......................................... 36 3.4.1 Introduction 36 3.4.2 Cultivated Area: 37 3.4.3 Cropping Pattern (Winter 2005/06) for areas of and around Lake Nasser: 39 3.4.4 Crop productivity of Lake Nasser shore Farms: 39 3.5 Livestock Wealth: ................................................................................. 40 3.6 Fisheries in Lake Nasser ..................................................................... 41 3.7 Natural Vegetation, Environment and Biodiversity ................................ 43 3.7.1 Natural Vegetation 43 3.7.2 Assessment of the Extent, Trends and Impact of Deforestation and Desertification 43 3.7.3 Biodiversity and Natural Flora, Plant Cover and Genetic Resources: 44 3.7.4 Aquatic ecology 45 3.8 Development Potential around Lake Nasser ........................................ 48 3.8.1 Introduction 48 3.8.2 Historical development of the area of and around Lake Nasser (Aswan Province): 49 3.8.3 Potential Reclaimable Areas in the Lake Nasser Area 50 3.8.2 The Tushka Depression 54 4. PROBLEM-SOLUTION ANALYSIS ................................................................ 57 4.1 Assessment of the Origins, Extent, Trends and Impacts of Upstream Sedimentation in Lake Nasser/Nubia .............................................................. 57 4.1.1 Origins and Rates of Sedimentation 57 4.1.2 Spatial and Volumetric Extent of Sedimentation 59 4.1.3 Future Trends under Present Sedimentation Rates 59 4.1.4 Impacts of Current and Potential Dam Construction in the Eastern Nile Basin 60 4.2 Environmental and Hydrological Impacts of Impoundment of Water in Lake Nasser .................................................................................................... 63 4.2.1 Reservoir Induced Seismicity 63 4.2.2 Water Losses 64 4.2.3 Water Quality 66 4.2.4 Bio-chemical Cycling 68 4.3 Water-born diseases ............................................................................ 72 4.4 Impacts Downstream of the Aswan High Dam ..................................... 73 4.4.1 From the AHD to the Delta 73 4.4.2 Impacts on the Coast and Mediterranean Sea 74 4.5 Assessment of the Extent, Trends and Impacts of Wind Blown Sand Sedimentation ................................................................................................. 75 4.5.1 Origins 75 4.5.2 Extent 75 4.5.3 Trends 76 4.6 Low Agricultural and Fisheries Productivity around Lake Nasser ......... 76 COUNTRY REPORT - EGYPT iii WATERSHED MANAGMENT CRA 4.6.1 Low Agricultural productivity 76 4.6.2 Low Fisheries Productivity in Lake Nasser 77 4.7 Potential Environmental Issues of Large Scale Development and Settlement in and Around Lake Nasser ........................................................... 78 4.7.1 Introduction 78 4.7.2 Agricultural Development around Lake Nasser 78 4.7.3 Agricultural development of the Tushka Project 79 4.7.4 Mining and Quarrying 80 4.7.5 Expansion of Tourism 80 4.7.6 Increased Use of the lake for Transport 81 4.8 Organizational and Institutional Issues ................................................. 81 4.8.1 Agricultural and Fisheries Development 81 4.8.2 Forestry Development 82 4.8.3 The Need for Integrated Lake Basin Development Planning and Implementation 82 5. IDENTIFICATION OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS ..... 83 5.1 Potential long term scenarios for sedimentation trends in Lake Nasser83 5.2 Opportunities for extraction and use of sediment deposits ................... 83 5.3 Opportunities and potential activities to reduce sedimentation from wind blown sand ...................................................................................................... 84 5.4 Opportunities and potential activities to support sustainable livelihoods and increased income generation ................................................................... 84 6. LONG TERM CAPACITY AND MONITORING NEEDS ................................. 87 6.1 Capacity Needs .................................................................................... 87 6.2 Monitoring Needs ................................................................................. 87 7. DATA GAPS .................................................................................................. 88 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 89 ANNEX 1. .......................................................................................................... 97 FLORA OF LAKE NASSER ................................................................................ 97 COUNTRY REPORT - EGYPT iv WATERSHED MANAGMENT CRA ACCRONYMS AHD Aswan High Dam BCM Billion Cubic Meters BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand CAP Compliance Action Plan CAPMAS Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics CIDA Canadian International Development Agency COD Chemical Oxygen Demand DO Dissolved Oxygen DRI Drainage Research Institute (NWRC) EEAA Egypt’s Environmental Affairs Agency EEIS Egypt Environmental Information System (a CIDA project at EEAA) EHD Environmental Health Department (MOHP) EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIMP Environmental Information and Monitoring Program EMUs Environmental Management Units EOHC Environmental and Occupational Health Center (MOHP) ERC Environmental Research Council FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FC Fecal Coliforms GOE Government of Egypt GOFI General Organization for Industrialization HAD High Aswan Dam IIP Irrigation Improvement Project IPM Integrated Pest Control LCD Liters per Capita per Day MALR Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation MSEA Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs MOHP Ministry of Health and Population MHUNC Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communications MOI Ministry of Industry MWRI Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (previously MPWWR) NAWQAM National Water Quality and Availability Management (CIDA project) NEAP National Environmental Action Plan NOPWASD National Organization for Potable Water and Sanitary Drainage (MHUNC) NRI Nile Research Institute, NWRC (previously known as: HADSERI) NWRC National Water Research Center, MWRI NWRP National Water Resources Plan PPM Parts Per Million PRIDE Project in Development and the Environment (USAID) COUNTRY REPORT - EGYPT v WATERSHED MANAGMENT CRA RIGW Research Institute for Groundwater (NWRC) TDS Total Dissolved Solids TSP Total Suspended Particles UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environment Program USAID United States Agency for International Development VOC Volatile Organic Compounds WHO World Health Organization