Introduction
The northwestern coast and its desert hinterland abound in numerous natural resources and economic potentials necessary for integrated and comprehensive development (water - lands - climate - roads - airports - labor..etc) as well as tourism potentialities particularly summer, winter resorts and safari. Its geographic location makes it a suitable place for industrial development due to its proximity to export harbors.
Owing to the importance of remodeling Egypt 's demographic map with the goal of reducing the population intensity in the Delta and the narrow strip of the Nile Valley and utilizing the resources and potentials of the northwestern coast and its hinterland, a developmental strategy and a general planning framework should be adopted for the region. Such strategy should involve developmental projects and programs whose priorities should consider their social and economic outputs at the local, national and regional levels to optimize the available and potential resources.
In this context, many workshops have been organized. The latest is a national seminar held in November 1998 to study the development of northern coasts for the benefit of integrated development and tourism activities. All the ministries, sectors, authorities, governors of Alexandria , Al-Beheira, and Matrouh and representatives from tourist villages in the northwestern coast participated in that workshop. These seminars have tackled a number of important and urgent issues like the problems facing parts and sectors of Egyptian shores, in addition to a number of visions and new horizons that discuss the need to link between protection works and integrated desert development of the Egyptian shores. The seminars stressed the importance of mainstreaming environmental assessment of protection and development projects, the need to work as an integrated teamwork and the necessity of coordination among ministries, companies and research centers operating for comprehensive development.
The Properties and Nature of Land of the Northwestern Coast and its Desert Hinterland
Considering the nature of the northwestern coast, it is generally marked with the following resources and characteristics:
• Promising and growing potentialities for tourism, summer vacationing, entertainment, specially that the main bases of the existing resorts and villages can be used as an entrance for attractive resorts throughout the year (locally, regionally and internationally). There are similar models on the Mediterranean shores in countries like Tunisia , Morocco , Lebanon , Turkey , Spain .
• Water and land resources for purposes of agricultural development and industrialization as well as animal resources remain limited depending on rainfall, rainwater harvesting, water transferred (via Al-Hammam Canal and its extension), potentials of coastal groundwater reservoirs (fresh and semi-saline) for achieving agricultural development in an area extending to 50 thousand feddans (permanent for fruit trees) and an area of 60-80 thousand feddans for winter farming (using rainfall). Winter supplementary irrigation can be available from the surplus of winter Nile water discharges in Extension of Hammam Canal for an area reaching 140 thousand feddans, in addition to the drinking water available (through pipelines) from Al-Nubariya, Al-Nasr and Al-Hammam Canals which may amount to nearly 500 thousand cubic meters daily.
• The Coast has promising relative advantages (the mild climate in both summer and winter - the Mediterranean system - South Europe - eastern and western coasts of North Africa - variation of environmental, land and natural compositions etc.) qualifying it to be attractive in the field of tourism with all its types and other productive industries in addition to transportation and services (within the area and to the east and west of North Africa and South Europe).
The Most Important Projects and Programs Carried out by the Ministry
Aiming to maintain the investments spent in accordance with the common good, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has taken the initiative and started to prepare an ambitious plan to improve the region's water management with the purpose of making full use of all the natural resources and providing all the water requirements for the various developmental activities as well as protection works requisite for preserving the investments carried out in the Egyptian shores. These investments can be summarized as follows:
1. Development of groundwater and harvest of rainfall and torrents
In this context, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation represented by Groundwater Sector and Groundwater Research Institute commenced detailed hydrogeological and hydrological studies for the Northwestern Coast in order to give a clear and integrated picture of the region's water resources, and to propose the best methods of utilizing such resources for extending cultivated desert land, creating new societies in the region and providing food security to ensure its sustainability and stability. To achieve these objectives, the Northwestern Coast extending for 500 k.m. along the Mediterranean from Alexandria to Al-Salum at the Lybian borders has been divided into five major basins from the east to the west as follows: 1- Foka
2- Bagoush 3- Matrouh 4- Al-Nagliya 5- Sedi Brani - Salum).Geochemical, hydrogeological, geophysic and geological studies as well as soil analysis have been made on each of these basins. The findings were associated to form the right picture of the region's hydrogeology, its water potentials and methods of utilizing such resources in the most cost-effective methods for the purpose of development of agriculture and tourism in the region.
The Available Water Resources:
• The rate of rainfall is 150 mm/year along the coastal line and decreases southwards. Part of the rainwater is used in rain-fed agriculture, while the other part penetrates the lands' geological composition.
• The rate of torrents which mark the valleys may reach one milliard cubic meters annually. Currently the largest part (80 %) goes to the sea and flows down in the direction of the Mediterranean .
• Amounts of fresh groundwater are limited.
• Semi-saline groundwater (5000-100000 part/million).
The studies indicate the possibility of using 2 million cubic meters daily of semi-saline water either without desalination in fish farms or in salinity-tolerant agriculture. The studies also show the possibility of utilizing 500 thousand cubic meters of fresh groundwater daily. The implemented works carried out for development of groundwater, rainwater and torrents harvesting till the fiscal year 2004/2005 cost 31 million pounds. The targeted works that should be implemented till 2017 cost 18.5 million pounds of which 2.5 million pounds shall be allocated for the year 2005/2006.
2. Protection Works of the Northwestern Coast
Short time ago the Northwestern Coast from Alexandria to Matrouh was a pristine area. Intervention in the coast area was extremely limited. Therefore the shoreline was considered a natural line that is not affected by any erosion or sedimentation problems. Human intervention has recently started by establishing tourist resorts and villages at various locations along the coast resulting in the emergence of some erosion and sedimentation problems threatening huge investments spent on establishing these tourist villages. That necessitated the importance of making studies and formulating comprehensive plans concerning the protection of the Northwestern Coast from the west of Alexandria till Al-Salum.
The Ministry represented by the Authority of Shore Protection has made the studies and researches necessary for a comprehensive scheme for protecting the northwestern shores and conservation of the natural and environmental conditions.
The most important studies are as follows:
• The project of studying the Northwestern Coast
A contract for the project of studying the Northwestern Coast from Alexandria to Al-Salum was prepared. The contract aims to formulate comprehensive schemes for protecting the northwestern shores and proposing proper alternatives to provide swimming and water sports for the summer vacationists as a means of encouraging domestic and international tourism.
The project was presented in an international bid. The successful bidder was Delft Hydraulic Institute with the participation of the Egyptian Hydraulic Research Institute on 20/5/2001 with a 1.8 million L.E cost. The study referred to included gathering marine data (wind, waves, currents) of the area. The study also included a detailed proposal for two pilot projects ( Marakia and Marbella ) each ranging to 10 k.m. Each project cost 200 million pounds. Coordination is made between both the public and the private sectors to provide the funding necessary to implement these projects.
• The Project of Integrated Management Plan for Matrouh Shores
The Authority for Shore Protection has signed a contract with the Danish Cooperation and Development Agency to make studies for the shores of Matrouh Governorate ranging to 120 k. m. (60 k.m. east of Marsa Matrouh Town, 60 k.m. westwards) with the objective of formulating a plan for the integrated management of these shores using a Danish grant amounting to 9 million L.E.
The study started in April 2004. It comprised gathering numerous marine data, satellite images and maps regarding the area, in addition to gathering and analyzing such data using a geographic information system and mathematical models appropriate to marine studies.
The study involves making a Master Plan that includes proposed solutions for shore problems in the area referred to which can be summed up in the following points:
• Erosion at the area of Badr-camp, Al-Abyad coast.
• High degree of salinity and deterioration of environmental conditions in the shores of Malaha Lake in Marsa Matrouh Town .
• Environmental deterioration in Al-Gharam and Cleopatra shores.
Necessary Studies are being made and expected to end at the beginning of 2006 in accordance with the schedule.
3- Implementation of National Infrastructure of Horizontal Expansion Projects in the Areas of the Northwestern Coast and Desert Hinterland for Agricultural Development and Water Resources Development .
Due to the region's limited water resources which have negative effects on constructional and economic development and the population's stability, and because establishing an economic-constructional community in the region would require provision of a suitable and continuous water resource, the Ministry is keen on carrying out many national infrastructure works relating to horizontal expansion projects which can be summarized as follows:
• The Project of Establishing Al-Hammam Canal
The implementation of the main canal which is completed along 50 k.m. with a cost of 44 million L.E. ( allocated from the Ministry's investment budget). Nearly 85% of branch canals is implemented with a 68 million L.E. cost. The completion of substructure for 15 thousand feddans cost 95 million L.E. ( the Public Authority for Constructional and Agricultural Development Projects). The project aims to reclaim and plant 45 thousand feddans in Al-Hammam region and to provide drinking water to the governorate of Marsa Matrouh and the Northern Coast and pass the drainage needed for Al-Hammam Canal Extension.
• The Project of Al-Hammam Canal Extension
The main canal and the related industrial works were finished for a length of 57 kilometers with a cost of 60 million L.E. (a grant from Abou Dhabi Fund). The project aims to resume the stages of agricultural development for the Northwestern Coast areas by providing supplementary annual irrigation for an area of 148 thousand feddans (Al-Dabaa and Al-Alamein) that depend basically on rainwater for growing winter crops (wheat and barley), in addition to providing 66 thousand cubic meter/day to the North Coast areas and Marsa Matrouh governorate. That amount may rise to 400 thousand cubic meter/day in conformity with the areas' requirements.
• West Delta Project
The Ministry currently prepares an ambitious plan to improve water management in the region and make some areas depend on mixing ground water with Nile water to make use of all the natural resources in the region. This can be achieved via a huge project for which all the technical and feasibility studies can be made in preparation for its implementation. The preliminary scheme includes the basic structure for delivering water through a main canal and branch canals to be fed from Nile water (Rasheed Branch) with a total length of 170 k.m. in addition to main and secondary pumping stations (4 stations), controlling facilities and industrial works (regulators - bridges). The project's estimated cost is 5000 million L.E. Project implementation shall take five years and will be based on three major elements:
• Change irrigation by groundwater to irrigation using Nile water to irrigate more than 255 thousand feddans, located on the sides of Cairo- Alexandria desert road in the area from kilo 50 to kilo 100.
• Improve irrigating the lands served by the Northwestern Coast Canals , (Al-Nubariya, Al-Nasr, Al-Bustan, Mariout, Bahig, Hammam and Extension of Hammam Canals in an area of 250 thousand feddans.
• Reclaim new lands on both sides of Wadi Al-Natroun - Al-Alamein that would reach 100 thousand feddans.
Technical studies, geometric designs and detailed legal and financial frameworks for cost recovery and contribution of the private sector in implementing and managing the project with the World Bank are in progress.
Development Requirements in the North Coast and its Desert Hinterland
Development plans and programs in general and the Northwestern Coast in particular require initial studying and providing databases regarding development resources and potentials (for the coast and the hinterland) comprising basic structures, land and water resources, tourist villages and resorts, animal and plant resources, road utilities , airports, drinking water connections and various public utilities (educational/ medical/communications..).
Basic Resources Requisite for Development:-
• Shores, villages and resorts (including the positive and negative points).
• Water sources and resources, besides local hydrological conditions (ground and surface) and possibilities of development (rain harvest / desalination / groundwater reservoirs).
• Plant, agricultural and animal potentials requisite for development (fruit, medical, barley, sheep).
• States of available and required basic structure services.
• Domestic, administrative, and institutional conditions (existent and proposed).
• Human resources (present and incoming).
Based on the available and promising sources, resources and potentials necessary for development, a comprehensive Master Plan for development of the Coast and its hinterland is under study. The Plan should benefit from the areas under development in addition to other most development axes and determine preferences, priorities, funding sources, management and utilization techniques. Development and integrated management requirements in addition to conservation of environmental balance and biological variation shall be taken into consideration.
There is no doubt that the mines issue is a vital one that should be dealt with (currently by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of World Cooperation). Formulating a comprehensive progressive developmental plan for the coast may encourage the relevant countries to respond actively and quickly. An international meeting or conference can be arranged for this purpose.
Development of the desert hinterland and even further areas like Siwa, Al-Farafra, Al-Natroun oases and Al-Fayoum/Aswan southwards by building basic structure for the roads may be promising at a later stage ( a second phase) after implementing the development of the North Coast (the first phase) as a foundation and stimuli for the next phase.
Visions and Priorities:
• Determination and classification of resources, arrangement of preferences and promising aspects.
• Study and formulation of a comprehensive Master Plan based on targets and terms of reference (developed by the governmental, public and private sectors).
• Classification of proposals as well as alternatives and prioritization by utilizing existing structures and resources, development feasibility and investment potentialities and returns.
• Looking at the state of development of the Red Sea shores along with its bays and the Mediterranean shores in Tunisia, Lebanon, South Spain, France and Italy, it may be said that development in the fields of tourism, recreation, summer vacationing has the priority owing to the available resources. Moreover, maximizing uses of surface, ground and rainfall water and sedimentary lands near valleys outlets to support the area's residents and provide vegetables, fruit and meat as well as the structure of services (transportation/ medical care/ education/ marketing/ shopping), the importance of dealing with the mines and improvement of the basic and necessary structure in an integrated framework mainstreaming sustainability and environmental protection are regarded as promising activities for the first phase.
• Dealing with this aspect shall necessitate initiatives and cooperation of the authorities concerned (local councils/ tourism/ water/ agriculture/ reconstruction) through a main coordinator.
Finally, the crucial factor in achieving the objective of sustainable development and investment in the North Coast (throughout the year not only during the summer vacation) is advertising, communication and marketing - after improving and developing the coast rehabilitation via the aforementioned activities and requirements.
A Proposal to Establish a Coastal City on the North Coast
Comprising all the Service, Production and Housing Sectors
Such proposal is important and necessary for the sustainable development of the Northern Coast because there exists no big coastal cities all along the North Coast from West Alexandria to Marsa Matrouh for nearly 350 kilometers. This proposed city should be a first-class tourist city after the pattern of Sharm El-Sheikh city and located near Marina Al-Alamein. It is to be designed in conformity with the up-to-date international design trends to accommodate almost one million people. The region is one of the promising areas in Egypt in terms of the frameworks necessary for a comprehensive and integrated development. The area encompasses all the elements necessary for development inclusive of a national basic structure represented in the international coastal road. The road can facilitate massive transportation of passengers and goods from northwest Africa and south Europe to northeast Africa and Asia . The area also comprises Wadi Al-Natroun Al-Alamein road as well as airports like Borg Al-Arab and Al-Alamein. Its geographic location makes it a right place for an industrial development due to its proximity to exporting seaports to Europe and northwestern Africa . The area abounds in tourism potentials such as its special climate, its shores and tourism structure represented in many coastal resorts along the Northwestern Coast .
Development of Nile Banks Villages "Third Phase 2005- 2008"
Objective:
• Stop erosion at the Nile River banks, make new agricultural lands, improve the services provided and development of rural women, provide job opportunities and achieve a comprehensive development for 24 villages in Upper Egypt .
Components:
• Protection works and improvement of villages.
• Basic structure works.
• Social development works.
Cost and Funding Source :
• 33 million L.E.- the Social Fund for Development and the Ministry of Water
Resources and Irrigation.
Duration
• 2005-2008.
Ministries and Authorities Concerned:
- The Ministry of Water Resources
- The Social Fund for Development
- The Ministry of Local Development
- The Egyptian Red Crescent Society
Executive Procedures
In resumption of the first and second phases of the project (1992 - 2004) for 77 villages, it was decided to extend the project to a third phase. The project's first two phases achieved positive environmental, economic and social outputs and provided nearly 180 thousand job opportunities during the implementation process and protection for 240 kilometers of the Nile banks with a total cost of 200 million L. E. The result was that these 77 villages have made a remarkable civilized transition. It was decided to extend the project to a third phase aiming to develop 24 new villages, provide job opportunities by engaging 23 thousand workers per month throughout the duration of the project, improve the villages for a length of 7 kilometers, provide job opportunities for the private sector and contractors and support the role played by the private sector in the economic and social development through the participation of civil society and beneficiaries to ensure the project's sustainability.
Promote and Deepen Domestic Industrialization
Objective:
• Use and encourage domestic products to achieve the state's strategic goals for promoting domestic production and providing foreign currency.
Components:
• Create a database for the requirements of the Ministry's various sectors inclusive of equipment, machinery and supplies which can be manufactured by Egyptian industrial sectors (whether public or private) instead of importing such products.
• Sign a joint cooperation protocol with the Ministry of State for Military Production to manufacture and import supplies necessary for the projects implemented by the state.
Cost and Funding Source:
• The budget allocated for the Ministry's various sectors.
Duration
• Not defined
Ministries and Authorities Concerned:
- The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
- The Private Sector
- The Ministry of State for Military Production
- The Ministry of Investment
Executive Procedures
- Establish improved irrigation networks in experimental areas for planting sugar cane, including control gates, valves and pumps with a cost of 533 thousand L.E. in preparation for applying these networks in the future in all areas where sugar cane is cultivated. That area is estimated to be 300 thousand feddans in Upper Egypt .
- Provide and install 4423 pumps (limited and medium discharge) with a total cost of nearly 37.7 million L.E. as a preliminary attempt to meet the Ministry's future needs of such pumps.
- Agree to assign local factories with designing, implementing and installing automatic gates to control water discharges flowing into the water courses.
Rehabilitation Training Project
Objective:
• Rehabilitate and train 2500 young men annually through building their abilities and developing their skills that are required for some professions and technology needed for the work market in the fields related to the activities of civil, mechanical and survey works, irrigation and drainage facilities, means and systems projects,.
Components:
Training fields comprise the following:
- Works related to studies and activities of soil mechanics, construction and foundations engineering.
- Works related to study, implementation, operation and maintenance of pumping stations and their related mechanical and electric elements.
- Planning, follow-up and implementation of irrigation and drainage projects works.
- Survey works, creating topographic as well as digital maps.
- Monitoring and quality control works.
- Operation and maintenance of heavy equipment and their supplies.
- Works of drawing and offset printing.
Cost and Funding Source
- 2.5 million L.E.
- Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Duration:
- Training programs range from 3 to 4 months. The implementation would take one year.
Ministries and Authorities Concerned:
- Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
Executive Procedures
- 4 training courses were organized for 200 trainees at the Drainage Projects
Training Centre in Tanta Town .
- 86 training courses were organized for 2300 trainees at the Survey Works
Training Centers.
- It is arranged to adopt the measures required for implementing training programs for 2500 trainees with a total investment of 2.5 million L.E. during
the fiscal year 2004/2005.
Stabilizing Agricultural Property Project
Land Register of Agricultural Lands and Cities
Objective:
Stability of property can be achieved through recording property in the register according to its actual existing legal state in the form of a digital database in the Real Estate Registration Bureau and the Real Estate Taxes Bureau for an effective listing of all real estate in Egypt .
Components:
- Establish the property's cadastral maps needed for compiling data regarding
the lands and property necessary for the creation of property and survey
register and budget register.
- Compile and revise ownership data existent at various authorities which can be
designated as public or private capital.
- Establish and authorize the land and property register required for the Real
Estate Registration Bureau. Such a register should provide data pertaining to
the cadastres.
• Establish and authorize the budget register required by the Real Estate Taxes
Bureau and the Real Estate Registration Bureau.
• Undertake the joint tasks with the Real Estate Registration Bureau through
Legal Reviewing Committees.
• Complete registration and settlement forms and examine the
protests presented against the settlement of the cadastre.
Cost and Funding Source:
- 388 million L.E. (for agricultural lands)
- The Ministry of Justice.
Duration:
- (2004 - 2006) for agricultural lands area amounting to 8.6 million feddans.
Ministries and Authorities Concerned:
- The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (the Public Authority for
Survey)
- The Ministry of Justice (the Real Estate Registration Bureau).
The Execution Phases:
- The surveyed area completed by the Public Authority for Survey till the stage of delivering the registers to the Real Estate Registration Bureau is 6.04 million feddans which would make up 70 %.
- The remaining areas which constitute 30% are 2.6 million feddans (of which 1.2 million feddans are in the final phases of legal reviewing).
Facilities Provided by the State for Investments in the New Lands Reclamation Projects
Looking at the world economic framework marking the twenty-first century that would ease the government's burden of spending money on establishment, operation and maintenance of major projects like the South Valley Development Project (Toshka) and the North Sinai Development Project which can be managed by the private sector, the state undertook the task of providing the following incentives to attract investment:
I- Implement the national basic structure for the establishment of main channels, pumping stations and the industrial works necessary for water transport and delivery to the aim of achieving cost recovery for these facilities and the requirements for their operation, maintenance, replacement and restoration throughout the lifetime of the economic project.
II- Transfer ownership of lands to corporations and investors with nominal rates.
III- Exempt all the equipment and supplies pertaining to the executive companies from all the customs duties and taxes.
In return, there shall be some obligations on part of the companies and investors that can be summed up as follows:
• Grand companies and investors shall assume the costs of management, operation, and maintenance of basic national structure (pumping station, main and branch canals).
• The companies shall undertake the implementation of substructure works (including irrigation and drainage networks) at their expenses.
• The companies shall also be committed to follow the most recent irrigation methods used in agriculture and adhere to the systems regarding environmental protection and conservation.
• The companies shall be obliged to present economic and social feasibility studies and schedules required for verification of commitment and initiating agriculture upon water release.
The companies, to which lands were allocated in South Valley Development and North Sinai Development Projects, have presented economic and social feasibility studies and implementation schedules. They have also created experimental farms with the purpose of determining the best crops and water duties.
Moreover, experimental farming have made encouraging results in the production of high-quality vegetables and fruit due to using the purest fresh or ground water in irrigating those lands, dispensing with chemical fertilizers, expanding biological resistance, and producing fine quality organic cultivations on a broader level to meet the international increasing demand. All products of experimental farming are available in both domestic and foreign markets.
Small Beneficiaries
Egypt is always keen on taking both the economic and social dimensions into consideration in achieving comprehensive development in all the horizontal expansion projects. In this regard, 60 thousand feddans were allocated in the South Valley Development Project to be distributed to fresh graduates and small beneficiaries in this phase of the project. It is proposed to allot 10 feddans fitted with infrastructure works and a residence to every beneficiary in any of the villages that will be equipped with utilities and services. These areas are to be irrigated using water from the wells dug by the Ministry. The Ministry has completed digging and implementing 167 ground wells of which 15 were provided with improved irrigation within the framework of the State's plan to implement 316 wells. The government shall assume the costs of these works provided that they shall be collected on 15 annual installments. It will also allocate 100 feddans utilizing one of the wells built by the state to persons with disabilities. 300 feddans were allotted with the purpose of setting up an international youth camp that will be a meeting place for youth from all over the world. Productive lands that will be annexed to the camp shall be cultivated by the youth. A satellite media channel, police station and a succor unit were established at kilo 25. The location of South Valley capital was chosen to be 10 thousand feddans in the middle of the project's lands. In addition to 18 urban communities supplied with all the services needed to connect the project's phases utilizing networks of roads and services.
With respect to North Sinai Development Project, 30 % of the project's lands were allocated to small beneficiaries by public lot. These lands are to be supplied with substructure works for nearly 10 feddans as well as a domicile in model villages with access to the completed services ( 5 villages) provided that the costs shall be levied on annual installments for a period of 15 years after permission period extending to four years starting from the date of water release. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation are to provide services of agrarian guiding, determine types of crops suitable for cultivation as well as the various agricultural services like soil plowing and water courses cleaning and ensuring the presence of the Bank of Agricultural Credit and Development in the region to provide all the credit facilities for agricultural production with soft loans.
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