Tycoon Salah Diab proposes solution to Egypt’s water crisis: “We will cultivate 100 million feddans”
Prominent Egyptian business tycoon and founder of Al-Masry Al-Youm, Salah Diab, has urged a sweeping transition from traditional flood irrigation to modern drip systems to combat Egypt’s escalating water crisis, citing tenfold consumption cuts in agricultural trials. Speaking during an interview on Al Arabiya’s “First Class” show hosted by Fatima Al-Daawi, Diab argued that traditional … The post…
Egyptian business magnate Salah Diab has proposed an ambitious plan to tackle the country's water crisis by transitioning from traditional flood irrigation to modern drip irrigation systems. Speaking on Al Arabiya's "First Class" show, Diab highlighted the significant water savings and efficiency gains achieved through drip irrigation.
At one farm, Diab reported transitioning from cultivating just 16 feddans of bananas using flood irrigation to expanding cultivation to 260 feddans with drip irrigation, while cutting fertilizer usage and pump fuel consumption by 90%. Diab suggested implementing modern irrigation systems in two governorates annually, estimating that a complete nationwide rollout could increase Egypt's cultivated land from the current 10 million feddans to 100 million feddans.
Addressing Egypt's chronic water deficit, Diab's proposal aligns with broader efforts by state ministries and agricultural sectors to modernize the nation's water management. This includes national canal-lining projects (Hayah Karima) to prevent seepage and strict regulations on water-intensive crops like rice, sugarcane, and bananas.
However, the drive to modernize agriculture has faced criticism over urban development projects, particularly the widespread tree removals in Cairo's Greater Cairo area. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Cabinet responded to public outrage by directing authorities to convert vacated urban areas into public parks and requiring tree planting using drought-tolerant species when unavoidable tree removals occur.
These measures aim to balance urban expansion with environmental conservation, integrating urban afforestation into Egypt's national water management and the "100 Million Trees" initiative.
Written by urgent.news from Egypt Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
