Improved water and land productivities in the saline areas of the Nile Delta

Abstract

The study was conducted in El-Serw (New Alexandria) located about 32 km south of Damietta, Damietta Governorate, El-Manzala Lake is to the east, Dakahlia Governorate lies to the south, and to the west are El-Sharqawia canal and the Nile River. The selected site has the general characteristics of marginal lands: • Drainage system problems; • High water table; • Increased soil salinity; • Seawater intrusion; • Pollution due to extensive use of chemicals; low water quality; • Available water increases relatively in winter; • Tail-end canal problems become less acute, especially in summer; • All farmers use surface irrigation systems. The area under study is about 8000 ha, which represents about 15% of the total cultivated area. According to the Agricultural Census of 2000, the area of El-Talamza is about 342 feddan, El-Sibakhat is about 871 feddan and the ‘Out of area served’ region is about 498 feddan.