Desertification of Agricultural Lands Costs Egypt EGP 12 Bln per Year

Dr. Adel Amer, Head of the Egyptian Center for Political, Legal, and Economic Studies, affirmed that Egypt incurs EGP 12 billion annually because of the desertification and bulldozing of lands, turning them into building lands. This is mainly attributed to the neglect of security authorities to apply the law prohibiting land encroachment and the corruption of localities under the former regime.

Some recent studies suggested that the government institutions have to make a good use of those outlaying districts of each governorates so as to be reclaimed and then to establish appropriate housing units there, Amer Said.

In addition for attracting farmer to relocate to such areas by creating a clean environment fully equipped with all facilities. Security Agencies must also work on reducing encroachment upon agricultural lands, activating severe punishments on Infringers which have been suspended due to the recent parliamentary dissolution.

Amer also highlighted the importance of rationalizing the consumption of water resources, the use of non-traditional irrigation systems, and abolishing surface drainage which led to salting the earth due to high-salinity waterlogging, creating a a saline layer that would be the neucleus of desertification. These factors would either make the land wild or cause plants that cannot adapt to salinity to die.