West Delta Irrigation

West Delta Irrigation

 

Project Description

The water conservation and irrigation rehabilitation project will ensure the sustainable development of agricultural activities West of the Nile Delta , through replacing the excessive drawdown of groundwater resources, by water supply from the Nile River.

Implementing Agency

Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation , for the selection of a private operator and for the financing of the first phase

Other partners

Private operator selected through International Competitive Bidding , for the design, construction and operation of the new irrigation infrastructure

Final beneficiaries

Agricultural farms located on each side of the Desert Road between Cairo and Alexandria, South of Sadat City

Development objective

Promotion of the sustainable development of agricultural activities in the area , and preservation of underground water resources

Project’s specific objective

Secure sustainable water supply from the Nile River for the farmers of the West Delta irrigation perimeter , and ensure a full cost recovery of investment and operation costs

Content of the Project

The Project will build a water distribution network and a conveyance system bringing water from the Rosetta Branch of the Nile River (through Nassiri Canal). This resource will replace the drawdown of the groundwater resources presently used by farmers. The network will be built and operated by a private operator, who will have to fully recover the costs, through adequate tariffs. The contractual set up is a combination of a full concession for the whole perimeter (190 000 feddans, about 76 000 ha), and of a Design-Build-Operate contract for the first phase (up to 90 000 feddans, about 36 000 ha), which will be pre-financed by the Government of Egypt. Indeed, for the first phase, the Government of Egypt will allocate funds to the selected operator for the construction of the perimeter, to reduce the financial risk assumed by the private operator.

The Project will also include a technical support component for small farmers of the area, to allow them to increase their productivity and to pay their water consumption on a full cost recovery basis . This component will be financed by a 1.5 million € AFD grant, under a Commercial Capacities Reinforcement Program for developing countries.

Project duration

3 years (2008-2010)

Impact

•  Sustainable development of a modern agriculture on the perimeter .

•  Optimized water use and management , both at network level and at farm level.

•  Effective participation of water users in water management .

•  Demonstration that it is possible to fully recover the investment and operation costs of an irrigation perimeter.

•  Stabilization and even recovering of the water-table level, and salinity reduction , with a positive impact on water users in Oases, West of the perimeter.