In the arid stretches of Sinai and Matrouh, Bedouin families have for generations survived on the edge of Egypt’s deserts by mastering the art of rainwater harvesting.
In villages scattered across these regions, where the average annual rainfall is a scant eight billion cubic meters, and only 200-300 million are collected in areas such as Sinai and the north coast, winter storms bring hope.
Families gather to channel precious runoff into underground cisterns, which are large containers that collect and store rainwater, a practice that has sustained their crops, livestock, and daily life through the long, parched months that follow. Agriculture remains the primary livelihood for about 70 percent of the population in these areas, with rain-fed crops like figs and olives forming the backbone of local diets and economies.
The ingenuity of Bedouin water harvesting lies in the systems they have refined over centuries. Stone dykes and earthen dams are constructed across ephemeral valleys, or wadis, to capture and slow the sudden rush of rainwater. This increases water infiltration for crops and helps reduce soil erosion and degradation, and mitigates the risk of flash floods, which devastated homes and fields, threatening lives and infrastructure.
In Matrouh, families use wells and ancient Roman cisterns, some rehabilitated, others newly built, to store water for both domestic and agricultural needs. Drip irrigation and sand dams further help manage these scarce resources, allowing for the cultivation of diversified crops and the maintenance of small herds of sheep and goats, even as the climate grows harsher.
As Egypt faces the mounting threat of drought and water scarcity, with the United Nations warning that the country could reach a critical freshwater shortage by 2025, due to pollution and waste disposal, potentially slashing agricultural production by nearly half by 2060, attention is shifting to solutions that recognize the resilience and effectiveness of traditional water methods used by Bedouin communities.
The Egyptian government, in collaboration with international partners, has initiated investments aimed at reviving and expanding traditional water harvesting techniques, aiming to improve food security and address the mounting challenges of climate change and desertification.
Projects in Matrouh, such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), support the Promoting Resilience in Arid Environments (PRIDE) initiative. PRIDE has overseen the construction of roughly 1,600 wells and 400 cisterns to harvest and store rainwater, providing essential water for households and agriculture. Additionally, 89 ancient Roman wells have been rehabilitated, enhancing water availability in these arid areas.
In South Sinai, a EUR 300,000 (EGP 17 million) rain harvesting project funded by international partners is underway in Wadi Feiran, aiming to enhance both flood protection and water access for Bedouin communities. The project’s future phases envision integrating solar-powered agriculture for sustainable development, in line with Egypt’s broader strategy to harmonize water, food, and energy needs.
The Desert Research Center (DRC) has played a pivotal role in developing and disseminating rainwater harvesting techniques. Their work includes building new cisterns and reservoirs, rehabilitating ancient Roman cisterns, and constructing dykes to enhance soil-water storage and reduce the impact of drought. These interventions, often developed in consultation with local Bedouin leaders, secure water for domestic and agricultural needs and contribute to the conservation of natural resources and the improvement of rural livelihoods.
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