Egypt plan to green Sahara desert stirs controversy
Reuters India
This is about modern Egypt, but for anyone who is interested in Egypt and her deserts, this four page article about converting the desert into land suitable agricultural use and new settlements may be of interest.
With only five percent of the country habitable, almost all of Egypt's 74 million people live along the Nile River and the Mediterranean Sea. Already crowded living conditions -- Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities on earth -- will likely get worse as Egypt's population is expected to double by 2050.
So the government is keen to encourage people to move to the desert by pressing ahead with an estimated $70 billion plan to reclaim 3.4 million acres of desert over the next 10 years. Among the incentives are cheap desert land to college graduates.
But to make these areas habitable and capable of cultivation, the government will need to tap into scarce water resources of the Nile River as rainfall is almost non-existent in Egypt.
The plan has raised controversy among some conservationists who say turning the desert green is neither practical nor sustainable and might ultimately backfire.
- Shutting Out The Neighbourhood
Living in Egypt blog (Maryanne Stroud Gabbani) With photographs. I've been a little less than thrilled with the Supreme Council for Antiquities for a while, and last night I got even more reason not to be impressed. I heard from a fairly reliable...
- Travel: Camping In The Western Desert Of Egypt
Thanks to Ben for posting my article about the task of preparing for a holiday which includes several days camping in the Western Desert of Egypt on his All About Egypt website. He has organized it into 5 sections, with photographs: Desert travel http://www.all-about-egypt.com/sahara-desert-travel.html...
- Egypt Fights To Stem Population Growth
ABC News (Will Rasmussen) This is an item about modern Egypt (with thanks to Rhio Barnhart), but although it is slightly off-topic I thought that it might be of interest to some visitors. Red and white banners along Nile bridges and Cairo streets this...
- Travel Item: A Tour To Egypt
http://www.salisburypost.com/lifestyle/344100661525511.php "From the air, we had seen the dark fertile soil and green fields and trees which covered both sides of the Nile, contrasting with the reddish desert sand everywhere else. The sand or sandstone...
- Land Reclamation Project
http://www.algomhuria.net.eg/gazette/2/1.asp For those keeping tabs on land reclamation projects, some of which have hidden or destroyed a rich prehistoric past, this article talking about plans to reclaim land for agricultural purposes along the Nile...