A new groundwater source has been discovered in the west Minya governorate, located approximately 245 km south of Cairo, according to Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi, Egypt Independent reports. According to preliminary estimates, the aquifer is expected to last for over 100 years and can therefore contribute to the so-called land reclamation project in Upper Egypt. The reclamation project is considered among the key projects in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s presidential campaign in 2014, which primarily focused on the development of agriculturally backwards areas. Such scope of projects aims to expand Egypt’s farmland by 20 percent and thus reduce the dependence on the Nile Valley for irrigation, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said in a statement last December. Out of the million acres that the government has promised to develop, 420,000 are located in west Minya, according to Ahram Online. The newly discovered source of groundwater is likely to aid in that development. Sixteen Egyptian companies are expected to reclaim 200,000 acres, while 470,000 acres will be distributed among 10 Arab and foreign companies, Moghazi said last year. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, approximately 96 percent of Egypt is covered by…
Groundwater Source Expected to Last ‘Over 100 Years’ Discovered in Egypt’s Minya
January 20, 2016
