Workshop on Alignment & implementation of National Action programmes with the UNCCD 10-year Strategy in the Arab Region League of Arab States (18- 20 June 2014), Dubai - UAEMr Egypt, Mohamed Eisa Ibrahim SHALABY

1. DRCUNCCD

2. Content
Introduction:
- Linkage of UNCCD to other Global
efforts
- Overview of Egyptian Nap 2005-
2014

3. Relational for preparing the alignment
of Egyptian NAP for 10 years of the
Strategy
-Strategic Objectives
-Operational objectives

4. Agro-ecological Zones in Egypt
-The North Coastal Zone
-The Nile Valley and Delta
-Inland Sinai & Eastern Desert
- Western Desert

5. Physiography
-Location
-Climate
-Water resources
-Soil resources

6. Sand dunes
Soil erosion
Natural vegetation
Rangelands
Human resources
Agriculture
-Crop production
-Cultivated areas
-Cropping pattern

7. Sand dunes
Soil erosion
Natural vegetation
Rangelands
Human resources
Agriculture
-Crop production
-Cultivated areas
-Cropping pattern

8. Desertification Aspects
-Causes of desertification
- Processes of desertification
- Impact of desertification
- Drought
- Climate Change
- Water resources, shortage and strategy of
Water use

9. - Sand dune movement
- Soil erosion
- Flora Rangeland
- Livestock production
- Fish production
- Anthropogenic impact
- Legislative Efforts to adness DLDD

11. The Egyptian National Action Plan was submitted to the
Secretariat of the United Nation Convention to Combat
Desertification in May 2005 by the Desert Research Centre ,
(Ministry of Agriculture) , the Focal Point of the UNCCD in
Egypt, to fulfil the requirements of the UNCCD under its
Articles 9 and 10.
This work was done under the partenaria of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Land reclamation, Desert Research Centre(the
focal point of the UNCCD in Egypt) ,Executive Authority for
Land Protection), Ministry State for Environmental Affairs ( -
Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, EEAA), Ministry of
water resources and Irrigation, National Authority for Remote
Sensing &Space Science( NARSSS),NEG’s, Ministry of foreign
Affairs, Ministry of Local Development.

12. The Egyptian National Action Plan 2005-2012 is
purposeful on sustainable management of
land degradation in the four ecological zones
of Egypt:
• The North Coastal Zone
• The Nile Valley and Delta
• The Western Desert
• The Eastern Desert and Inland Sinai peninsula

13. The main thematic programs were as follows:-
1- Desertification Assessment Monitoring.
1-1 Capacity building .
Self assessment of National capacity building needs to help stakeholders.
Measure their capabilities.
Define their priorities and constraints.
To Develop manpower in environmental management all over the
country
2-Program for irrigated agriculture
2-1 Irrigation improvement.
To increase irrigation water management and agric. productivity of
Egypt's old lands taking into considerations the irrigation delivery system,
on farm level, technical, economic, environmental and social factors
impacting water management.
Practiced on old Agric lands and newly reclaimed areas.

14. 2-2 The integrated irrigation management plan (IMP).
Preparation and implementation of integrated water management plan.
Expansion and up- scaling of water user organization.
Irrigation and drainage infrastructure and facilities.
Environmental management & on farm improved water use.
Old agric. land and newly cultivated ones.
Land improvement.2-3
Application of amendments, sub-soiling, land levelling and improvement of
drainage and other management practices that increase the land
productivity in the Nile Delta and Valley as well as the newly reclaimed lands
2-4 Water and land pollution control.
Survey & monitor the locations & impacts of industrial pollutants discharged to water
& soil resources.
Initiating data base of pollution sources, types of pollutants, extension migration and
impacts.
Methods & technologies to treat, minimize and curtail the discharge.

15. 2-5 Environmental pollution in Wadi El-Rayan
depression
-Reuse of drainage water through blending strategy or using
drainage water solely as in wadi El – Rayan which contributes
to pollution of CI, NO3 , heavy metals & organo- metal
complexes that should be monitored and assess their risks.
- Management scheme to control pollution.
- Raise awareness on hazards.
2-6 Safe use of treated sewage water for afforestation.
Some selected remote areas of desert lands close to waste
water treatment plants to dispose waste water for
afforestation and prevent its hazardous effect.

16. 3- Rehabilitation, conservation and use of range resources.
3-1 Artificial revegetation of depleted range
Artificial revegetaion and / or planting of seedlings of the
fodder for whole sub-projects, shrubs to increase forage and
livestock production. This is accomplished through using proven
techniques, sites with high potential , seeds of tested forage
species , protection against grazing , ….etc.
3-2 Conservation of soil and water resources.
The areas suggested for this sub-project are W. Al-Arish , SW
Sinai , W. Hederba and W. Halayeb where soil and water
conservation including control of wind & water erosion ,
securing soil fertility & stability and increasing water use
efficiency .
Construction of sizeable dams, gully plugs, contour terracing
trenches, furrows pitting & water harvesting , management of
watershed areas, …. etc.

17. 3-3 Grazing management.
The sub-project aims at improving plant communities , livestock
performance , soil stability & water –shed management, restoring
vigor of forage plants and improve grazing schedule. This program
will be devoted to N Coastal Zone, Sinai &shalateen-Halayeb
district.
4- Rainfed agriculture.
4-1 Land use planning.
Scheduling land use patterns for the northern coastal zone to
include rehabilitation of ranges, desertification activities,
expansion of touristic resorts , areas irrigated from El- Hammam
canal, rain fed cereals, and infrastructures for urban, travel and
industrial activities.
This word is aided by GIS data.

18. 4-2 Experimental cloud seedling.
This sub-project focuses on cloud seedling to overcome aridity and
desertification.
This will be implemented over the vulnerable districts especially those far
from the Nile fiver.
Use of innovative and effective approaches to grow plants in the desert.
Experimental work will be conducted in the Northern coastal zone, Tushka
(Western Desert)
4-3 Improving livestock performance.
This sub-project aimed at increasing animal productivity through cross-
breeding and veterinary services, provide green fodders (silage).
Saving losses in feeds and other practices to improve nutritive value and
feed conversion efficiency to improve animal productivity and maximize
profitability

19. 4-4 Improving small ruminant production in N. Sinai.
The sub-project includes improving feeding and nutritional
through biotechnology of agricultural residues, fodder shrubs,
natural ranges, improving animal management as well as
veterinary care and protection of livestock from endemic
diseases and malnutrition to increase animal productivity and
sustainability.
4-5 Soil erosion control.
This sub-project focused on soil erosion rates by water and wind
in the NCZ, preparing a data base on erosion to find out the most
efficient methods for controlling soil erosion and maintain soil
conservation for sustainable use.

20. 5- Program for sand dunes stabilization.
5-1 Control of sand encroachment on High Dam Lake.
This – project aims to control sand movement to the High Dam
lake via establishing successive green belts crossing wind
direction.
This will also contribute to improvement of local climate and
environmental conditions, plant species will be drought-
resistance for the prevailed hyper arid condition
5-2 Stabilization of sand dune in Siwa Oasis
This sub-project deals with controlling sand encroachment using
mechanical , chemical and biological measures.
This also includes the use of drainage water in fixation to alleviate
drainage problem in this Oasis .besides, transfer of mobile dunes
to agricultural lands.

21. 5-3 Stabilization of shifting sand dunes in N. Sinai.
This sub-project aimed at formulating a master plan for the
control of shifting dunes in N. Sinai and to establish 2 pilot
areas to test the biological measures for dunes fixation and
their proper management practices.
Referring to the previous programs the most important
deliverables from the Egyptian NAP (2008-2014) during the
implementation of the Plan are:-
In spite of the several succeeded story and different
outcomes, the Egyptian

22. NAP confronted several challenges and constraints during the
period of implementation (2008-2014). These include absence
of institutional capacities and arrangement of many department
responsible of applying and executing a lot of work in time and
with favourable measures , lack of financing and information,
communication between the different ministers rise and
agencies then collecting the data concerning the desertification
seems to be somewhat difficult .
The governmental , private sector and the non-governmental
organization have contributed deeply in this problematic
subjects with good achievement , but so difficult to monitor and
register and be available for studies and processing.