Innovative approaches to agriculture in water-scarce areas: Lessons from Cairo/Africa Water Week

Both projects face a shared challenge: solving one problem often leads to another, a common pattern in water-related issues. For instance, groundwater extraction can lead to saltwater intrusion in aquifers, reducing water quality for irrigation and increasing reliance on other already scarce freshwater sources.

While alternative approaches like treated wastewater reuse can alleviate pressure on groundwater extraction, there is a risk of polluting aquifers or soil salinization, if poorly managed, potentially causing more long-term harm.

The project is being implemented in three countries: Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan. Describing how wastewater is treated and reused starting at As-Samra wastewater treatment plant, director of project partner Water, Environment and Climate Change Centre in Jordan, Almoayied Assayed said: “First, we focused on understanding the current situation from both technical and social perspectives.”

The water is monitored for pollutants like viruses, pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues by collecting various samples of water, soil and plants from farms in the central Jordan Valley, where the reclaimed water is used for irrigation indirectly, and in the Zarqa River, which connects the treatment plant to the agricultural areas.

Studies were also conducted to assess the social and living conditions of the valley’s local communities and smallholder farmers, providing insights into their needs, aspirations and ideas.

The next step involves researching and implementing sustainable and efficient approaches to wastewater treatment, such as the use of local materials like zeolite tuff, a natural volcanic mineral in constructed wetlands. And photogranule technology, which utilizes sunlight to treat wastewater while simultaneously producing valuable biomass.

As part of the capacity development component of the project, professional training programmes in wastewater treatment and reuse have been set-up jointly with IHE Delft, one at Mutah University in Jordan and another at Nile University in Egypt. Heba Labib, director of NilePreneurs, a nationwide initiative to support startups and small and medium-sized enterprises through capacity building, incubation, and innovation support, introduced the Professional Diploma in Management of Wastewater Technologies and Reuse.

She emphasized the importance of turning knowledge into innovative products, services, and businesses: "Entrepreneurship is one of the most crucial topics as we aim to enable our students to translate their knowledge into viable and marketable solutions."

The second project introduced was GWS-SENCE. This project aims to contribute to better understood, more sustainable and more equitable groundwater development in urbanized deltas, where the rights of ecosystems and all communities are assured, with shared access to freshwater.

The project involves an interdisciplinary study of the Nile, Niger, and Tana deltas in Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya.

The ultimate goal is to develop equitable groundwater management plans, including smart monitoring of groundwater resources, regulating abstraction, establishing groundwater protection areas, controlling sources of pollution and managing the recharge of aquifers.

Ahmed Nosair’s research in Egypt's Sharkia Governorate, highlighted the poor quality of some the aquifers. The Zagazig University lecturer attributed this to saltwater intrusion caused by sea-level rise and over-extraction, further exacerbated by seepage from polluted open drains and unregulated well drilling.

Marmar Badr, a lecturer in the Water Engineering Programme at Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, argued that groundwater remains poorly understood and unevenly distributed. She explained that learning networks have been created within and across coastal areas, bringing together communities, professionals, and both the private and public sectors.

According to Badr, raising public awareness among the communities living and farming in the delta areas is key: “One of the great aspects of this project is the focus on communication and storytelling. We translate our research findings into simple, accessible language that addresses the root issue.”

As well as helping farmers adopt better practices by digging their own wells, they introduced salt-tolerant crops like tomatoes, boosting farmers' productivity. Badr noted that some farmers have even become trainers, passing on their knowledge to others. Local mosques are also involved in the learning network with imams teaching about efficient groundwater use during Friday prayers, and explaining how farmers can adapt to salinization challenges.