6 - World Bank



ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND LAND RECLAMATION (MALR)

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (ARC)

SOILS & WATER AND ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SWERI)

EGYPT FARM- LEVEL IRRIGATION MODERNIZATION PROJECT (EFIMP)

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

Table of Contents

Executive Summary X

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background 2

1.2 Environmental Assessment Study 4

1.2.1 EIA Concept and Rationale 4

1.2.2 EIA Objectives 5

1.2.3 Approach and Methodology 5

2. POLICY, LEGAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAME WORK 8

2.1 Policy Framework 8

2.2 Legal Framework and Guidelines 10

2.3 World Bank Safeguard Policies 14

3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 16

3.1 Project Rationale 16

3.2 Proposed Objectives 17

3.3 Project Description 17

3.4 Project Areas 19

4. BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE 20

4.1 Description of Project Command areas 20

4.1.1 Middle Nile Delta - Wasat and Manaifa Command areas 20

4.1.2 Western Nile Delta - Mahmoudia Command Area 21

4.2 Water Quality Status 25

4.2.1 Water Quality Assessment Parameters and Guidelines 25

4.2.2 Meet Yazeed Irrigation Network 25

4.2.3 Meet Yazeed Drainage Network 31

4.2.4 Mahmoudia Irrigation Network 35

4.2.5 Water Quality Status in Mahmoudia Drainage Network 38

4.2.5.1 Edko Drain System 38

4.2.5.2 Oumum Drain System 39

4.3 Environmental Profile Mahmoudia Canal Command Area 43

4.3.1 Water Resources 43

4.3.2 Soil Quality 45

4.3.3 Air Quality and Meteorology 46

4.3.4 Biological Environment 47

4.3.4.1 Lake Maryut 47

4.3.4.2 Lake Edku 47

4.3.4.3 Flora and Fauna 48

4.3.5 Socio-Economic and Cultural Environment 49

4.3.5.1 Population and Human Settlements 49

4.3.5.2 Agricultural Cropping Patterns 51

4.3.5.3 Archeological Sites 52

4.3.5.4 Industrial Areas and Activities 52

4.4 Environmental Profile Meet Yazid Command Area 53

4.4.1 Water Resources 53

4.4.2 Soil Quality 54

4.4.3 Air Quality and Meteorology 55

4.4.4 Biological Environment 55

4.4.4.1 Lake Burullus 55

4.4.4.2 Fishing Areas 57

4.4.5 Socio-Economic and Cultural Environment 57

4.4.5.1 Population and Human Settlements 57

4.4.5.2 Agricultural Cropping Patterns 59

4.4.5.3 Archeological Sites 60

4.4.5.4 Industrial Areas and Activities 60

5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) 61

5.1 Soil Properties 61

5.2 Soil Salinity 61

5.3 Water Quality 62

5.4 Saline Drainage 62

5.5 Saline Groundwater 62

5.6 Sedimentation 63

5.7 Fast-tracked sampling & analysis of the baseline water quality data in the FIMP command areas: 63

5.7.1 Framework 63

5.7.2 Laboratory Analysis 64

5.7.3 Results 65

5.8 Significant Impact of FIMP 77

5.9 Public Consultation Feedback 77

5.10 Mitigation Measures 78

5.10.1 Agriculture Practice 78

5.10.2 Monuments and historical property 79

5.10.3 Measures for Civil Works 79

5.10.3.1 Protection of Environment 79

5.10.3.2 Transportation 80

5.10.3.3 Employment 80

5.10.3.4 Quarries and Areas of the Supply of Construction Materials 80

5.10.3.5 Earth Works 81

5.10.3.6 Disposal of Construction Waste 81

5.10.4 Socio-Economic 82

6. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 83

6.1 Project Site Alternatives 83

6.2 Technology and Design Alternatives 83

6.3 Operation Alternatives 83

7. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (EMP) 84

7.1 Impacts and Measurements Associated with Irrigation and Drainage Schemes 84

7.2 Environmental Management Plan Elements for FIMP 86

7.3 Management Plan Details for FIMP 86

7.4 Environmental Management Plan Budget 88

7.5 EIA/EMP Reporting During FIMP Implementation 95

7.6 Institutional Setup for EMP Implementation 95

8. PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN 97

8.1 Regulatory, Institutional and Policy Framework for Pest Control in Egypt 97

8.1.1 Institutional Framework 97

8.1.2 IPM Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture 98

8.2 Pesticides Handling in the Project Areas 100

8.3 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 101

ANNEX (1): Scope of Work for the EIA and EMP of Egypt FIMP 103

ANNEX (2): IRRIGATION WATER DEMAND AND REQUIREMENTS 104

ANNEX (3): FIELD IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE STATUS 105

List of Tables

Table (1.1): List of Interviewed Farmers from various locations 7

Table (2.1): Principal Environmental Laws, Decrees and Regulations 11

Table (2.2): Safe Guard Policy Applicability Table 14

Table (4.1): Water Quality Monitoring Locations In Meet Yazeed Command Area 21

Table (4.2): Water Quality Monitoring Locations In Mahmoudyia Command Area 22

Table (4.3): Drainage Fresh water quality standards/guidelines,, 25

Table (4.4): water quality standards/guideline 25

Table (4.5): Guidelines for interpretation of water quality………………………………………27

Table (4.6): Water Resources and Demand in MCA 43

Table (4.7): Soil Characteristics in the MCA 46

Table (4.8): Prevalent Meteorological Conditions in Nile Delta 46

Table (4.9): Administrative Divisions, Population and Level of Income in MCA 50

Table (4.10): Marakez, Rural Units and Sub Villages in MCA 51

Table (4.11): Summer and Winter Cropping Patterns in MCA 51

Table (4.12): Pesticides Estimated Consumption in Mahmoudia Area 52

Table (4.13):Power plants in the vicinity of the command area 52

Table (4.14): Water Resources and Sectoral Demand in MYC 53

Table (4.15): Zones of the lake Burullus 56

Table (4.16):Administrative Divisions, Population and Level of Income in MYC 57

Table (4.17): Marakez, Rural Units and Sub Villages in MYC 59

Table (4.18): Pesticides Estimated Consumption in Meet Yazeed 60

Table (5.1): Chemical Analysis of Collected Water Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 67

Table (5.2): Macro, Micro-Nutrients and Heavy Metals Concentration in the Collected Water Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 69

Table (5.3) : Microbial, Pesticides and Parasites Status of the Collected Water Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 71

Table (5.4) : Chemical Analysis of Collected Soil Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 72

Table (5.5): Macro; Micro-Nutrients and Heavy Metals Concentration in the Collected Soil Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 73

Table (5.6) : Bacteria Status of the Collected Soil Samples of EAI/FIMP Areas 74

Table (5.7): Macro, Micro Nutrients and Heavy-Metal Concentrations in Plant Tissues Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 75

Table (5.8): Bacteria Analysis of the Collected Plant Tissues Samples of EIA/FIMP Areas 76

Table (5.9): Rough Estimate of Significant Impact of FIMP 77

Table (5.10): Percentage of consulted farmers agreeing on impacts of FIMP. 78

Table (7.1): Long list of General Impacts Associated with non-sustainable Irrigation and Drainage Schemes and the Related Mitigation at Farm Level 84

Table (7.2): FIMP likely Negative Impacts, Preventative Actions and Mitigations 85

Table (7.3): Summary Environmental Monitoring 87

Table (7.4): Summary EMP Activities and Budget 89

Table (8.1): The pesticide consumption from 1985 to 1994 (Thousand tons) 99

Table (8.2): Main Pesticides Used in Egypt 101

List of Figures

Figure (3.1): Marwa Improvment Process 18

Figure (4.1): National monitoring locations of the irrigation system in the Nile Delta Regions 23

Figure (4.2): National monitoring locations of the drainage system in the Nile Delta Regions 24

Figure (4.3): DO Box Plot at Meet Yazeed Irrigation network 29

Figure (4.4): TDS Box Plot at Meet Yazeed Irrigation network 29

Figure (4.5): EC Box Plot at Meet Yazeed Irrigation network 30

Figure (4.6): PH Box Plot at Meet Yazeed Irrigation network 30

Figure (4.7): DO Box Plot at Meet Yazeed drainage network 33

Figure (4.8): TDS Box Plot at Meet Yazeed drainage network 33

Figure (4.9): EC Box Plot at Meet Yazeed drainage network 34

Figure (4.10): PH Box Plot at Meet Yazeed drainage network 34

Figure (4.11): DO Box Plot at Mahmoudia Irrigation network 36

Figure (4.12): TDS Box Plot at Mahmoudia Irrigation network 36

Figure (4.13): EC Box Plot at Mahmoudia Irrigation network 37

Figure (4.14): PH Box Plot at Mahmoudia Irrigation network 37

Figure (4.15): DO Box Plot at Edko and Omum Drainage network 41

Figure (4.16): TDS Box Plot at Edko and Omum Drainage network 41

Figure (4.17): EC Box Plot at Edko and Omum Drainage network 42

Figure (4.18): PH Box Plot at Edko and Omum Drainage network 42

Figure (4.19): Administrative Boundary of the Various Marakez and main human settlements 50

Figure (4.20): Administrative Boundary of the MYC Marakez and Main

Settlements 58

Figure (7.1): Institutional Setup for Emp Implementation 96

Figure (8.1): Classification of IPM Alternatives 102

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

|SBR |Sugar beet Root |

|ARC |Agriculture Research Center |

|SBS |Sugar beet Shoot |

|B |Boron |

|WG |Wheat Grain |

|BOD |Biochemical Oxygen Demand |

|WS |Wheat Straw |

|Ber |Berseem |

|CA |Canal Command Area |

|Ca |Calcium |

|CAAE |Central Administration for Agriculture Extension |

|CASWE |Central Administration for Soil, Water and Environment |

|CCREM |Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers |

|Cd |Cadmium |

|CDA |The Environment Controlled Droplet Application |

|Cfu |Colony Forming Unit |

|Cl |Chloride |

|CLEQM |Central Laboratory for Environmental Quality Monitoring |

|Co |Cobalt |

|COD |Chemical Oxygen Demand |

|Cr |Chromium |

|Cu |Copper |

|DW |Drain Water |

|DO |Dissolved Oxygen |

|DRI |Drainage Research Institute |

|EA |Environmental Assessment |

|EALIP |The Executive Authority for Land Improvement Projects |

|EC |Electrical Conductivity |

|ECw |Mean Electrical Conductivity |

|EEAA |Egyptian Environment and Affairs Agency |

|EFIMP |Egypt Farm-Level Irrigation Modernization Project |

|EIA |Environmental Impact Assessment |

|EMP |Environmental Management Plan |

|EMU |Environmental Management Unit |

|EPA |Environmental Protection Agency |

|ETo |Evapotranspiration |

|EUR |Europe |

|FAO |Food and Agriculture organization |

|FC |Fecal Coliform |

|Fe |Iron |

|FIMP |EG-Farm-Level Irrigation Modernization Project |

|GDP |The Gross Domestic Product |

|GOE |The Government of Egypt |

|GW |Ground Water |

|HCO3 |Bicarbonate |

|IBRD |International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |

|IDOS |Institutional Development and Organizational Strengthening |

|IIIMP |Integrated Irrigation Improvement and Management Project |

|IIP |The Completed Irrigation Improvement Project |

|ILO |International Labour Organization |

|IPCS |The International Programme on Chemical Safety |

|IPM |Integrated Pest Management |

|Irw |Irrigation Water |

|K |Potassium |

|MALR |Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation |

|MCA |The Mahmoudia Canal Command Area |

|Mg |Magnesium |

|MG03 |Mahlet Ruh P.S. for mixing drainage water with Miet Yazeed canal |

|MG04 |Outfall of Samtay drain into Gharbia drain |

|MG07 |Outfall of drain no.6 into of Gharbia drain |

|MG14 |Outfall of into of Gharbia drain |

|MHUUC |Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Comminuting |

|MI07 |Miet Yazeed Canal downstream Mahlet Ruh drain reuse P.S. |

|MI11 |Miet Yazeed Canal downstream Kafr el-Sheikh city |

|Mn |Manganese |

|MOEA |Ministry of Environmental Affairs |

|MOHP |Ministry of Health and Population |

|MSEA |Ministry of state for Environmental Affairs |

|MSL |Mean Sea Level |

|MWRI |Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation |

|MYC |Meet Yazid Command Area |

|M701 |Outfall of drain no.7 into Lake Brullus |

|M801 |Outfall of lower drain no.8 into Lake Brullus |

|Na |Sodium |

|NaHCO3 |Bicarbonate Soduim |

|Nd |Not detected |

|NEAP |National Environmental Action Plan |

|NH4-N |Ammonium- Nitrogen |

|Ni |Nickel |

|NO3-N |Nitrate-Nitrogen |

|NWRP |National Water Resource Plan |

|OP |The World Bank's Operational Policy |

|P |Phosphorus |

|Pb |Lead |

|PBDAC |Principal Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit |

|pH |Hydrogen ion Activity |

|PHIs |The Pre-harvest Intervals |

|PIM |Participatory Irrigation Management |

|PMP |Pest Management Plan |

|PT |The Preparation Study Team |

|Q |Discharge |

|RIGW |Research Institute for Groundwater |

|RSC |Residual Sodium Carbonate |

|SAR |Sodium Adsorption Ratio |

|SO4 |Sulphate |

|SWERI |Soils & Water and Environment Research Institute |

|TDS |Total Dissolved Solids |

|TOR |Term of Reference |

|UNDP |The United Nations Development Programme |

|UNEP |United Nations Environment Programme |

|ULV |The Ultra Volume Sprayers |

|USA |United States of America |

|USAID | |

| |United States Agency for International Development |

|WE03 | |

| |Zarkon P.S for Lifting Drainage water to Edko downstream Shubrakhit P.S. |

|WE07 |Khairy P.S.for Lifting drainage water from Khairy drain to Edko drain |

|WE08 | |

| |Halq El-Gammal P.S for Lifting drainage water from Halq |

| |El-Gammal drain to Edko drain |

|WHO |World Health Organization |

|WI08 |Mahmoudyia canal upstream the Kafr El-Dawar drinking water intake |

|WI09 |Mahmoudyia canal upstream Alex-andria drinking water intake |

|WI11 |Mahmoudyia canal upstream of Edko reuse pump Station |

|WM |Water Quantity Management |

|WQMPC |Water Quality Management and Pollution Control |

|WT |Water Table |

|WTO | |

| |World Trade Organization |

|WU01 | |

| |Abo Hommes P.S for lifting drainage water from Abo Hommes drain to Omum drain |

|WU05 |Dishidi P.S.for lifting drainage water from Dishudi drain to Omum drain |

|WU07 | |

| |Abies P.S for lifting drainage water for lifting drainage water from Abies drain to Omum drain |

|Zn |Zinc |

Executive Summary

Egypt Farm-level Irrigation Modernization Project (EFIMP)

Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Plan

Introduction

Given the current water shortages in Egypt, the most important output of On-Farm Water Management interventions is improving water productivity by saving water while improving crop yield and quality, together with mitigating the negative impacts on the environment. The benefits to farmers stem from reduction of production costs due to reducing the water applied and hence reducing energy costs and labor for irrigation. The saved water can be used to eliminate water shortage in the old-lands tail ends or to serve the new lands. As the potential for mobilizing additional water resources is very limited in Egypt, water saving constitutes the most promising option for meeting increasing water demands for agricultural expansion and for the agriculture sector to release water to other users. Another untraditional water resource that can be used is reusing agricultural drainage. However, it results in lower yield and adverse impacts on the environment due to its low quality.

Project objectives

The project development objective is to increase the irrigation efficiency and productivity of around 200,000 feddans. Improvements water productivity and reduction in energy and labor costs have been demonstrated in the “W10 pilot area” of IIIMP, the ongoing WB-supported MWRI project. The EFIMP project would also help to strengthen the delivery of farmer support services. The project’s success would be measured by the following indicators:

▪ reduced water consumption and increased irrigation efficiency as measured by water use per unit area (m3/feddan) and net return per unit of water used;

▪ increased farmer income as measured by real annual net return from crop production per unit land area (LE/feddan); and

▪ improved extension service delivery and performance monitoring.

Project Description and components

The GOE/MALR is mobilizing donors to support GOE strategy, and requested Bank’s assistance to address farm-level irrigation modernization on about 200,000 feddans as a first phase of the longer-term GOE program. The Bank’s objectives in the agriculture sector, as consistently expressed over the last three CASs, have included improving the management and efficiency of the use of water and land resources. The FIMP is explicitly in line with these objectives. The proposed project would be implemented through two components over five-year period:

▪ Component 1: Farm-Level Irrigation Improvements (approximately US$80 million). This component would support marwa and farm-level irrigation modernization for farmers on 200,000 feddans primarily in three Delta old-land irrigation command areas (Mahmoudia, Manaifa and Meet Yazid).

▪ Component 2: Farm-level Technology Development and Dissemination (approximately US$20 million). The component would strengthen relevant MALR agencies and organizations responsible for implementation and O&M of the irrigation systems through training and improved information and monitoring systems, and would encompass project management including monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

EIA objectives

The environmental impact of irrigation at the farm level is of increasing importance to the Egyptian agriculture. The aim of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to identify and mitigate the impacts of the proposed irrigation improvements on soil, water and surrounding environment. EFIMP will explore ways in which farmers could improve productivity by using less chemical fertilizers and irrigation water and will monitor potential changes in the agriculture environment.

The main objective of this environmental study is to furnish the appropriate information about the outcome and environmental impacts of this project so that decision-makers can take proper remedial/prevention actions if needed. Furthermore, the decision maker will want to know if the proposed project is likely to produce the targeted positive results. Thus, the following are the study directives:

▪ Investigate the impact of the proposed interventions on the EFIMP areas, on the agricultural and human environment.

▪ Assess both the positive and negative environmental impacts during construction and operation of the proposed EFIMP.

▪ Suggest mitigation measures to enhance positive impacts and reduce negative impacts through compensation plans for the impacted areas, careful design, construction and operation of the project features.

▪ Enhance capacity building in the field of environmental impacts and improve public awareness.

Approach for the performance of the EIA & EMP

The basic approach for the performance of the EIA & EMP study included:

▪ Experience Review: particularly those environmental experiences gained by the MALR previous and ongoing project. All these projects were reviewed and a commentary on the experiences gained and lessons learned were reflected in the EIA study’s inception report.

▪ Document Review: Existing and relevant research studies relevant to the scope of the EIA was compiled and reviewed by the consultants. The aim is to develop and build on the baseline information.

▪ Interviews: the consultant during the course of the study has interviewed key MALR officials, district engineers, and community representatives in addition to various experts involved with the MWRI projects and the IIIMP in specific. This enabled taking a first-hand, in-depth look at the factors influencing the key environmental conditions and threats in the command area and how the perceived interventions would alleviate and/or add to those pressures.

▪ Field Visits: To formulate a complete picture of the existing environmental profile in each area, the team performed several field visits to all the command areas during which discussions were held with farmers and local administration officials.

▪ Public Consultations: One public consultation was held during the study timeline, with farmer representatives.

▪ Conduct EIA/EMP for preparation/appraisal of EFIMP. During EFIMP preparation, a baseline data collection and analysis was carried out focusing on water quality (irrigation and drainage) and soil characteristics. A field study has been carried out on EFIMP command areas at the farm and merwa levels. SWERI coordinated with EALIP to identify the locations. This study aimed at collecting samples in water (irrigation and drainage streams); soil; cultivated crops and groundwater (subsurface water). The analysis of samples included the following parameters:

o pH, EC, Cations, Anions, RSC and SAR.

o Zn , Fe , Mn , Cu , B, k, P, NO3-N and NH4-N.

o Pb, Cd , Cr, Co and Ni.

o Pesticides residues (Positive / Negative).

o COD and BOD.

o Bacteria (Total Coliforms, Feacal Coliforms, Salmonella and Shigella).

o Parasites.

▪ Public Consultation to Community and Stakeholders. SWERI team visited the selected areas in EL-Wasat & Al- manaifa & Al Mahmoudia at Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Behira governorates on 9 June 2010. Ten farmers have been interviewed about:

o The best options for meraw improvement.

o The expected benefits from EFIMP.

o Create appropriate environmental conditions (EIA/EMP).

WB safeguards policies relevant to project

Based on consultation with MALR and the WB appraisal mission, and in accordance with the TOR for this EIA, an analysis was conducted for the WB safeguard policies, as well as the extent to which each policy applies to EFIMP. The analysis was benchmarked against the environmental profile prepared for each command area. The consultant is under the opinion that the safeguard policy on Environmental Assessment (OP4.01) applies to EFIMP, which was designated a Category B project. The EIA has further assessed the extent of safeguard policy on Pest Management (OP 4.09) applicability to EFIMP, taking into consideration that EFIMP will not finance/procure pesticides nor bring new lands into production. The GoE is already applying an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system where the use of pesticides is reduced considerably. Nevertheless, OP4.09 has been triggered, and a basic Pest Management Plan (PMP) was prepared as part of the EMP in order to ensure compliance with OP4.09 and to contribute to the pool of mitigation/prevention measures needed to control water pollution.

Environmental impacts (positive and negative)

The EIA conducted by SWERI has noted (from the chemical and biological analysis of collected soil, irrigation, drainage, and plant samples) the following impacts:

▪ Shallow groundwater table in some areas, which EFIMP can improve.

▪ High salinity in some groundwater samples, which EFIMP can improve.

▪ Irrigation and drainage waters contaminated with bacteria and parasites. FIMP can improve this.

▪ Positive pesticide residues (i.e. above zero) detected in all irrigation water samples. However, "positive" does not mean "violating" the permissible standards. For instance, the baseline data from the samples taken in the crop tissues (shoots and roots) indicated that there is sufficient content of macro and micro nutrients in the samples taken from the three EFIMP command areas. This implies that the positive presence of pesticide residues in irrigation water has not negatively impacted crop growth. Control of pesticides application is already an ongoing policy of MALR, and the success of enforcing this policy is observed in the general long-term downward trend in misusing pesticides throughout the last two decades.

Benefits due to implementing FIMP would therefore include:

▪ Improve equity, reliability and convenience of on-farm freshwater delivery;

▪ Increase crop yields at canal tail ends due to reducing soil-water salinity and/or due to increasing the fresh-water quantity which have direct impact on increasing farm income;

▪ Improve public health (reduce morbidity and mortality) and water-related recreation.

▪ Improve soil property due to decreasing soil salinity and water table depth.

▪ Reduce water & soil contamination due to decreasing:

o Losses of NO3 to drains.

o Leached chemical pesticides.

▪ Reduce human health risk from direct contact with contaminated water (Bilharzias).

▪ Reduce weeds growth.

▪ Reduce drainage flow and load due to deep water table depth, water losses through seepage and leakage from earth merwas.

▪ Reduce earth Borer risk.

▪ Increase farm income due to lowering the cost of farm inputs, and raising production due to soil and water quality improvements.

Negative impacts due to implementing EFIMP would include:

▪ The construction sites are largely uninhabited. So, it is expected that there will be minor significant impacts in terms of noise, dust or visual intrusion on the residential areas within the project construction sites.

▪ During construction, dust production by excavation and transport of construction material will cause slight impact.

▪ None of the endangered birds and mammals is known to occupy or range into EFIMP areas.

▪ It is not generally anticipated that any toxic or hazardous materials will be used during this project. Most of the needed materials generally are available from the local market.

EMP implementation

The budget allocated for the EMP subcomponent of EFIMP (housed by EMU in SWERI) may be within US$900,000 from GOE and GSCD grants, because all of the above-listed EMP mitigations are already part of the mandate of SWERI and MALR/EALIP (in coordination with MWRI/IIIMP). The EMP activities include:

Monitoring, Assessment and Mitigation

▪ Assess and mitigate any site-specific excess residues from fertilizers & pesticides and per the above-mentioned existing national mandate/program of MALR.

▪ Assess and mitigate any site-specific increase in water salinity and soil salinity & alkalinzation or erosion.

▪ Ensure that the civil-works contractors abide by the EMP-related clauses of the contract.

▪ Evaluate water table depth, salinity and contaminated levels of groundwater, and suggest solutions.

▪ Monitor soil fertility and crop quality and production.

Technical Assistance

▪ Develop nutrient management practice at farm level.

▪ Develop pest management practice at farm level.

▪ Support EFIMP (EALIP) by providing the M&E indicators on the EMP-related negative and positive impacts.

Public Awareness

▪ Improve farmer public awareness on on-farm environmental management.

Capacity Building

▪ Enhance capacity building of SWERI and EALIP in the field of environmental impact assessment and management, through:

o Study tours

o Conferences/workshops and tailored training programs.

▪ Enhance knowledge transfer through

o Develop knowledge transfer plan

o Conduct meetings and workshops with relevant stakeholders.

Institutional Setup for EMP Implementation

Executive Authority for Land Improvement Projects (EALIP) would be responsible for farm-level irrigation improvements at the marwa level, and would coordinate with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) at the interface with the mesqa level. The Agricultural Research Center (ARC) through Soils & Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI) will lead the EMP implementation with support of other institution of MALR such as:

▪ Central Administration for Soil, Water and Environment (CASWE)

▪ Central Administration for Agriculture Extension (CAAE)

▪ Environment Quality Sector, Egyptian Environment and Affairs Agency (EEAA)

SWERI in coordination of the supportive institutions will report to the Executive Authority for Land Improvement Projects (EALIP).

Conclusion

The proposed EFIMP interventions and design criteria indicate that there will be no long-term negative impacts. Nevertheless, unavoidable minor negative impacts that are often associated with construction works should be expected and they are likely to result from excavation, transport of construction material. Such undesirable impacts are limited, and should be cleared upon the commissioning of the project.

The contractors will follow a wide range of management and construction techniques and procedures to minimize and/or eliminate the pollution hazard, including: adopt suppression measures during the processing and filling operation; minimize visual intrusion and noise during construction by following the national recommendations; maximize daylight operations to minimize noise disturbance to residents of village; provide sanitation facilities and safeguard health of laborers and conduct environmental monitoring during and after construction for concerned ecological elements.

The EFIMP in the Western and Middle Delta Regions is expected to be an environmentally-feasible project, as it will positively impact water resources, crop productivity, soil features, farmers income, and ambient environment.

وزارة الزراعة واستصلاح الأراضي

مركز البحوث الزراعية

معهد بحوث الأراضي والمياه والبيئة

ملخص : تقييم الأثر البيئي و خطة خطة الإدارة البيئية لمناطق تطوير الري الحقلي

بمحافظتي كفر الشيخ – البحيرة

مقدمة

تعتمد مصر على حصتها من مياه النيل والتي تبلغ 55.5 مليار م3 سنوياً وهى تمثل 95% من الموارد المائية المتاحة للبلاد، يستغل 85% منها فى الزراعة. وتواجه مصر تحدياً يتمثل فى تحسين إنتاجية الأراضي الزراعية وتعظيم العائد من وحدة المياه. يهدف مشروع تطوير المراوى إلى زيادة الأنتاج الزراعى ودخل الفلاحين عن طريق تحسين البيئة الأساسية للرى وتسهيل الوصول الى توزيع أكثر عدالة للمياه وتحسين إدارة الرى داخل المزرعة.

الهدف من المشروع

يهدف المشروع إلى زيادة كفاءة الرى والزيادة الانتاجية فى زمام 200.000 فدان فى وسط وغرب الدلتا من خلال تطوير المراوى. وسوف يؤدى ذلك التطوير إلى آثار إيجابية عديدة على إستخدام المياه والإنتاجية والطاقة المستخدمة والعمالة المطلوبة للعمليات الزراعية والعائد للفلاح.

وصف عناصر المشروع

تتجه الحكومة المصرية من خلال وزراة الزراعة لطلب الدعم من الجهات المانحة (البنك الدولى) لتطوير الرى على مستوى الحقل ويتوافق مشروع تطوير الرى الحقلى بمحافظة كفر الشيخ والبحيرة مع هذا التوجه.

وهذا المشروع المقترح من المخطط له ان يتم من خلال مكونين رئسيين هما :

المكون الأول : تطوير الرى على مستوى المراوى (قيمة أعمال تتراوح 80 مليون دولار) فى زمام 200 ألف فدان بثلاث مناطق بالوسط والمنايفة والمحمودية.

المكون الثانى : تطوير تكنولوجيا ونقل المعلومات والخبرات فى مجال تطوير الرى الحقلى (قيمة اعمال تتراوح 2 مليون دولار).

الهدف من دراسة تقييم الأثر البيئي

وتهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تقديم المعلومات المناسبة ونتائج التقييم لتأثير هذا المشروع على البيئة لدعم متخذي القرار وقد روعت الأهداف التالية أثناء العمل بالدراسة البيئية:-

▪ أستيفاء متطلبات البنك الدولى

▪ المساعدة في تخطيط وتصميم المشروع

▪ توضح كل مصادر البيئة ذات القيمة ومحدادتها والمصادر الأخرى المستخدمة بالمنطقة

▪ تقديم تفاصيل عن الآثار الايجابية والسلبية للمشروع

▪ اقتراح الإجراءات اللازمة للحد من الآثار السلبية للمشروع

وتعتبر دراسة التأثير البيئي لمياه الري على المستوى الحقلي احد المهام الرئيسية لتحقيق التنمية الزراعية المستدامة. ويهدف تقييم الأثر البيئي الى التعريف بتأثير تطوير الري الحقلي على خواص التربة. إن دراسة تطوير الري الحقلي على المستوى الحقلي بمناطق (الوسط- المنايفة- المحمودية) بمحافظتي كفر الشيخ والبحيرة سوف يفتح الطريق للمزارعين لتحسين إنتاجية المحاصيل عن طريق ترشيد استخدام الأسمدة الكيماوية ومياه الري مما يحسن في البيئة الزراعية.

وسوف يقوم معهد بحوث الأراضي والمياه والبيئة– مركز البحوث الزراعية كبيت خبرة فى مجال إدارة البيئة الزراعية بإعداد خطة الإدارة البيئية لمناطق الدراسة.

منهجية العمل وعناصر دراسة التقييم البيئي و خطة خطة الإدارة البيئية

▪ القيام بزيارات لمنطقة المشروع

▪ مراجعة القوانين البيئية ذات الصلة بالمشروع

▪ تحديد عناصر تقييم البيئة للمشروع

▪ وصف المشروع

▪ القيام بالدراسات اللازمة مثل:

o دراسة تأثير نظام مياه الري والصرف فى مناطق تطوير الرى بمحافظتي البحيرة وكفر الشيخ على البيئة الزراعية.

o التعريف بالآثار البيئية الايجابية لتطوير الري الحقلى وتأثيرها على التربة والنبات.

o تقييم مستويات التلوث للماء الأرضي واقتراح أفضل الحلول للتغلب المشاكل.

o رصد لحالة خصوبة التربة وملوحة الماء الأرضي من خلال البرنامج العاجل لأخذ عينات مياه وتربة ونبات من مناطق تطوير الري بمحافظتي كفر الشيخ والبحيرة. يلقى البرنامج العاجل الضوء على الدور المنوط به الفريق البحثي بمعهد بحوث الأراضي والمياه والبيئة بجمع عينات للمياه والتربة والنبات في شهري مارس – ابريل 2010م من مناطق تطوير الري المختارة (الوسط- المنايفة – المحمودية) في محافظتي كفر الشيخ والبحيرة. وذلك فى بدايات ونهايات ترع ميت يزيد والمحمودية وكذلك إجراء التحليلات الكيماوية والبيولوجية. وقد تم إجراء التحليلات التالية :

▪ الأملاح الذائبة والكاتيونات والانيونات ونسبة الصوديوم المدمص.

▪ رقم تفاعل التربة.

▪ العناصر المغذية: الزنك – الحديد – النحاس- البوتاسيوم- البورون- الفوسفور – النتروجين - النتراتى الامونيومى.

▪ العناصر الثقيلة: الكادميوم- الكروميوم- الكوبالت- النيكل.

▪ متبقيات المبيدات.

▪ الأوكسجين الحيوي والكيماوي الممتص.

▪ بكتريا القولون الكلية – القولون البرازية- السالمونيلا والشيجلا.

▪ الطفيليات.

من نتائج التحليلات الكيماوية والبيولوجية لعينات مياه الري والصرف والماء الأرضي والتربة والنبات... فقد تبين ما يلي :-

▪ ارتفاع مستوى الماء الأرضي في بعض المناطق.

▪ ارتفاع ملوحة الماء الأرضي في بعض العينات.

▪ تلوث بعض عينات مياه الرى والمصارف بالبكتريا والطفيليات.

▪ لوحظ وجود متبقيات المبيدات فى معظم عينات مياه الرى ولكنها كانت فى الحدود المسموح بها والتى لم تؤثر على نمو النبات

o قد قام الفريق البحثى بمعهد بحوث الاراضى و المياة و البيئة فى 9 يونيو 2010 بزيارة الى مناطق البرنامج العاجل ( الوسط - المنايفة - المحمودية) لاجراء مناقشة الفلاحون من خلال استمارة استبيان عن افضل طريقة لتطوير المروى- العائد المتوقع -تحسين الظروف البيئية. وقد اجمع الفلاحون على ان افضل طريقة لتطوير المروى هى المواسير المدفونة.

▪ تحليل التأثيرات الإيجابية والسلبية للمشروع

▪ اقتراح خطة الإدارة البيئية

o اقتراح الإجراءات اللازمة للحد من الأثار السلبية للمشروع

o اقتراح برامج المراقبة المناسبة

تصنيف المشروع طبقا لمعايير البنك الدولى

طبقا لمعايير تقييم البنك الدولى تم تصنيف المشروعات لثلاث فئات (A, B and C) والذي تماثل مع التصنيف الخاص للبنك الدولي طبقا للسياسة رقم (01-4) والمشروع المتقدم يقع ضمن الفئة (B) لنظرا لمحدودية التأثير السلبي للمشروع على البيئة وان التأثير الإيجابي محدد وعلى المدى الطويل لمنطقة المشروع والمجتمع المحيط بمنطقة المشروع. و سوف يتم تطبقق سياسة رقم (09-4) للتأكد من عدم تدهور البيئة نتيجة استخدام المبيدات.

التأثيرات الإيجابية والسلبية للمشروع

التأثيرات الإيجابية المتوقعة من تطوير الرى الحقلى

▪ بالنسبة لنهايات ترع الري:... سوف يتم توفير مياه لري الحقول التي تقع في نهايات الترع وبالتالي تحسين الإنتاجية المحصولية.

▪ تحسين كفاءة نقل المياه العذبة في ظل إتباع نظام التصرف المستمر لمياه الري في الوقت المناسب مما يجنب المزارعين إعادة استخدام المياه الملوثة (صرف زراعي – صحي) وهذا يؤدى إلى إنتاج غذاء صحي آمن وكذلك تحسين الصحة العامة.

▪ زيادة إنتاجية المحاصيل فى نهايات الترع نتيجة لتقليل ملوحة التربة والمياه او لزيادة كمية المياه العذبة والتي لها تأثير مباشر على دخل المزرعة.

▪ عدم ري المحاصيل بمياه منخفضة الجودة مما يؤدى الى تحسين الصحة العامة وتقليل معدل الوفيات وانتشار الأمراض.

▪ تحسين خواص التربة نتيجة خفض ملوحة التربة و منسوب الماء الارضى.

▪ الحد من تلوث مياة الرى و الصرف و التربة نتيجة فقد النترت و المبيدات بالغسيل مع ماء الصرف.

▪ تقليل مخاطر الصحة العامة بتقليل التلامس مع المياة الحاملة بالبلهارسيا.

▪ الحد من نمو الحشائش.

▪ الحد من معدل و كمية مياة الصرف نتيجة لخفض منسوب الماء الارضى وفقد المياه نتيجة الرشح الجانبى من المروى.

▪ الحد من مخاطر الاستاكوزا المسببة لانهيار حد المروى.

▪ زيادة عائد الفلاح نتيجة لخفض تكاليف المدخلات وزيادة الانتاجية المحصولية

( المخرجات) نتيجة زيادة مساحة الارض وتحسين خواص التربة

التأثيرات الايجابية والسلبية المتوقعة من تطوير الرى الحقلى

▪ يصاحب أعمال التنفيذ بعض الضوضاء وتلوث الهواء بمنطقة المشروع ومن المتوقع أن يكون ذلك التأثير محدود حيث ان موقع تنفيذ المشروع غير مأهول بالسكان لحد كبير ومن المتوقع حدوث تأثيرات محدودة من ناحية الضوضاء والرائحة والغبار او التلوث

▪ من غير المتوقع استخدام اى وسائل خاصة لتنفيذ المشروع والتى من شأنها تمثيل خطورة على البيئة

▪ بمجرد اكتمال المشروع سوف يمكن للغطاء النباتى والكائنات الحيوانية العودة مرة اخرى وسوف يقتصر التأثير على الكائنات الحيوانية والنباتية على فترة التنفيذ فقط وسوف يكون التأثر على كائنات محدودة جدا على المدى الطويل

▪ من المتوقع ان لا يكون هناك اى تأثير سلبى على المواقع الاثرية او التراث الثقافى بمنطقة المشروع وفى حالة العثور اثار اثناء التنفيذ سوف يتم اخطار الهيئة العليا لحماية الاثار

تنفيذ خطة الإدارة البيئية

الميزانية المخصصة لمكون خطة الإدارة البيئية لمشروع تطوير الرى الحقلى قد تصل إلى مليون دولار امريكى بدعم من الحكومة المصرية ومنحة من الحكومة اليابانية.

وتشمل أنشطة خطة الإدارة البيئية التالى :

1- مراقبة وتقييم ووضع تدابير للحد من التأثير السلبى

▪ التقييم والحد من زيادة متبقيات الأسمدة والمبيدات

▪ التقييم والحد من زيادة ملوحة المياه والتربة أو الحد من مشاكل القلوية والنحر

▪ التأكد من أن مقاولى الأعمال المدنية ملتزمون ببنود العقود المتفق عليها أثناء التنفيذ

▪ تقييم عمق الماء الأرضى والملوحة ومستويات التلوث للمياه الجوفية مع وضع اقتراحات لحلول المشاكل إن وجدت

▪ مراقبة خصوبة التربة وجودة وإنتاجية المحاصيل

2- المساعدة الفنية

▪ اقتراح خطط لإدارة إستخدام الأسمدة على المستوى الحقلى

▪ اقتراح خطط لإدارة إستخدام المبيدات على المستوى الحقلى

▪ العمل على تقييم المشروع من خلال تحليل مؤشرات تقييم الاداء والمراقبة

برنامج الإرشاد البيئي

سوف يقوم المعهد بإعداد برنامج إرشادي لمناطق تطوير الري على ان يشمل :-

▪ تنمية قدرات المزارعين على مستوى الحقل فى التعرف على اثر الممارسات الزراعية على البيئية الزراعية والتنمية المستدامة.

▪ التوعية العامة لبث المعرفة بترشيد استخدام الكيماويات الزراعية من الأسمدة والمبيدات.

بناء ودعم القدرات البشرية

دعم وبناء القدرات البشرية للقائمين بالعمل فى خطة الإدارة البيئية مثل :

▪ معهد الاراضى والمياه والبيئة ووحدات التوجيه والارشاد بوزارة الزراعة من خلال :

o زيارات علمية

o مؤتمرات – ورش عمل – برنامج تدريبى متخصص

الهيكل المؤسسى لتنفيذ خطة الإدارة البيئية

الجهاز التنفيذى لتحسين الاراضى التابع لوزارة الزراعة سيكون مسئول عن أعمال التطوير للرى على المستوى الحقلى بالتنسيق مع وزارة الموارد المائية والرى من خلال مشروع الإدارة المتكاملة لتطوير الرى.

مركز البحوث الزراعية من خلال معهد بحوث الاراضى والمياه سيكون المسئول فى عملية تنفيذ خطة الإدارة البيئية بدعم وحدات اخرى داخل وزارة الزراعة مثل وحدات التوجيه والارشاد.

الخلاصة

إستخدام تكنولوجيا وأساليب عمل جيدة ومناسبة سوف تؤدى إلى الحد من الآثار الجانيبية السلبية على المدى الطويل نتيجة تنفيذ المشروع. على أى حال فإن التأثيرات التى لا يمكن تجنبها والتى عبارة ما تكون مرتبطة بأعمال التنفيذ المدينة مثل عمليات الحفر والنقل والمواد المستخدمة هذه التاثيرات تكون محدودة وتنتهى آثارها بتشغيل المشروع.

يحقق المشروع جدوى اقتصادية وبيئية عالية مع توفير فرص عمل لأهالى المنطقة يؤدى إلى تحسين مستوى المعيشه ولكن يوجد بعض الاثار السلبية المحدودة بالأخص اثناء فترة التنفيذ مثل مصاحبة أعمال التنفيذ بعض الضوضاء وتلوث الهواء بمنطقة المشروع ومن المتوقع أن يكون ذلك التأثير محدود .

▪

1. INTRODUCTION

Irrigated agriculture is crucial to the economy, health and welfare of very large part of the developing world. It is important to be marginalized as it is vital for world food security. However, irrigated agriculture often radically changes land use and is a major consumer of freshwater. Irrigation development has a major impact on the environment. The impacts may be on natural and physical environment and on the human environment as well. All major donors consider large irrigation and drainage developments to be environmentally sensitive.

Under water scarcity conditions, the most important output of On-Farm Water Management interventions is the improvement of water productivity by increasing water savings while improving crop yields and quality, in addition to reduce negative impacts on the environment. The benefits to farmers stem from reduction of production costs due to the less water applied and hence reduced energy costs, and also to less labors for irrigation. The saved water can be used for horizontal expansion of newly irrigated area.

As the potential for mobilizing additional water resources is very limited in Egypt, water saving constitutes the most promising option for meeting increasing water demands for agricultural expansion and for the agriculture sector to release water to other users. Another untraditional water resource that can be used is the agricultural drainage water. But it results in lower yield and an adverse impact on the environment due to its low quality.

Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is a management tool for planners and decision makers in project evaluation. It is now accepted as an essential part of development planning and management.

EIA is concerned with both impacts of irrigation and drainage on the environment and sustainability of irrigation and drainage itself. Clearly an EIA will not resolve all problems. There will be trade-off between economic development and environmental protection as in all development activities. However, without objectives of EIA, informed decision making would be impossible.

The EIA can address environmental issues such as: (i) mitigation measures focusing on environmental impacts of EFIMP implementation on farm level; (ii) water quality for integrated irrigation and drainage systems in the EFIMP areas; (iii) strengthening of environmental capacity of the EFIMP and associated organizations and groups; (iv) coordination between EIA and different Environmental Units, Water Quality Unit, key agencies and ministries, etc. and communication process; and (v) development of options and investments to address external sources of pollution and solid wastes discharged to canals and drains or contamination with agriculture chemicals (mineral fertilizers and pesticides, etc…).

1 Background

Egypt has an estimated population of 81.7 million people with an annual growth rate of 1.68%.The agricultural sector’s share in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is approximately about 14.1%. The working labors in this sector are 30% of the total labor force. Due to fast population and economic growth, governmental policy aims to reclaim desert land for agriculture, and to establish new cities and industrial sites.

By 2017, the new cities are expected to house 8.8 million people and the planned old and newly reclaimed land for agriculture will cover about 4.6 million ha. Due to population growth all agricultural production, industrial expansion and water demand will increase. By 2025, the total water demand is estimated to be about 81.9 billion m³/year and will represent a major threat to all areas of development in Egypt.

Agriculture in Egypt is almost entirely dependent on irrigation from the River Nile, since there is no significant rainfall except in a narrow strip along the Mediterranean Cost. Most of the cultivated land is located close to the banks of the River Nile, its main branches and canals as well as in the Nile Delta. Rangeland and rain fed areas are restricted to a narrow strip, only a few kilometers wide along the Mediterranean coast and its bearing capacity is quite low. The total cultivated area (arable land plus permanent crops) is 3.6 million ha (8.6 million feddans) (2005/06), or about 3 percent of the total area of the country. The agricultural areas increased by about 1.0 million ha during the period 1981/82 – 2005/06 with an average agricultural growth rate of 2.6% in the 1980s to reach 3.6% in 2006/07. Almost all land is double-cropped, giving a cropping intensity of close to 178%.

Most crops are grown in the Delta and the Valley, with the exception of rice which is grown in Delta mainly and sugarcane which is cultivated in the Valley. The main winter crops are wheat and berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum, L) . Berseem is grown either over 3 months with 2 cuts as a soil improver (short berseem), usually preceding cotton, or grown over 6-7 months, either with 4-5 cuts as a fodder crop or grazed by gathered cattle (long berseem). Minor winter crops are, amongst others, pulses, barley and sugar beet. The main summer crops are maize, cotton and rice, the latter being the most important Egyptian export crop. In 2008, yields were 8 million tones for wheat, 6.3 million tones for maize, 7.2 million tones for rice. The productivity of “old land” is relatively high but additional yield gains could be achieved with improved seed quality, more mechanization, strengthened extension support and better land and soil management. The area under cultivation will increase from 3.3 million ha in the year 1997 to about 4.7 million ha by the year 2017 with an increase of 1.4 million ha according the objectives of the sustainable agricultural development strategy 2030.

SOILS, WATER & ENVIRONMENT RES. INST.(SWERI)

SWERI is one of sixteen research institutes under the Agricultural Research Center (ARC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR). Its vision is to be recognized as a lead organization for integrated management and conservation of soils and water resources in a sustainable manner, as well as being considered as a national and regional consultant of natural resources management.

In the light of SWERI’s vision, the main mission is to execute applied researches and to provide direct services to farmers, extension specialists, and public and private organizations. To achieve SWERI’s mission, the following objectives should be met:

▪ Surveying and classifying available soils and water resources.

▪ Improving productivity of old and newly reclaimed lands to increase the overall agriculture productivity.

▪ Conserving soils and water resources.

▪ Optimizing fertilizer use.

▪ Monitoring the pollution of soils and water resources and its impact on plants and the environment (Environmental Impact Assessment is included).

▪ Studying climate change and its impact on crop water requirements, desertification and land degradation.

Soils, Water & Environment Research Institute consists of 10 research departments. The Environment Research Department is the most recent one, it was established in 1994.

The main activities of the department are:

▪ Environmental impact assessment of agriculture projects.

▪ Monitoring pollution of soils, water, and plant and its impact on environment on farm level.

▪ Environmental impact assessment of overuse of chemical fertilizers on soils, plant and groundwater.

▪ Applied technical remediation methods for soil improvement (natural, physical, biological, and chemical).

▪ Applied technical method for heavy metal removal from reused wastewater in agriculture.

▪ Technical cooperation with national and international organizations in the field of environmental protection.

SWERI's contributions to EIA activities

SWERI will contribute to EIA's activities by the following inputs:

▪ All available documents, reports, including output of water quality monitoring programs, soil structure and texture, environmental aspect, soil mapping, cropping pattern, etc. to enable the consultants to carry out assignments.

▪ Make the necessary arrangements for field visits and meetings with various institutions and stakeholders.

▪ Participate in meetings, discussions, consultations and reviewing all submitted documents.

▪ Experts of different disciplines e.g : soils, water, plant and environment topics, i.e., pollution, laboratory analysis, field researches, agricultural microbiology.

▪ Update the related studies available in ARC.

▪ Facilities and equipments: SWERI has new laboratories which have the following instruments:

• Plasma (ICP) - GC Mass and HPLC. - EC and pH meters.

• Atomic Absorption. - BOD and COD sets. - Spectrophotometer.

2 Environmental Assessment Study

1.2.1 EIA Concept and Rationale

The most common environmental impacts (positive and negative) associated with irrigation and drainage schemes are: Salinization / alkalinization, water logging, soil acidification, poor water quality, ecological degradation, aquatic weeds, sedimentation and reduced socio-economic conditions. The opportunity to identify positive impacts and to propose measures in order to enhance such impacts should not be neglected. Human health has been included, in order to present the human health dimensions of the environmental impacts.

EIA has three main functions

▪ Predict problems,

▪ Find ways to control or avoid them, and

▪ Enhance positive effects.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is expected, with respect to improve canals and drains in Nile Delta at farm level through EFIMP plan, improve soil structure, decrease water table depth, prevent water logging and soil salinity, management of irrigation water as well as increase crop yields.

The application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides products and other soil inputs and the contamination with pathogenic indicators and bacteria due to sewage discharges and solid wastes in the main canals and drains, are resulted in low quality water for irrigation. Therefore, the most significant environmental analysis is the management of water quality, quantity, soil properties and human health through integrated management for soils and water on farm level. This is aligned with developing irrigation efficiency and productivity around 200,000 fed. primarily in Delta old land.

The EIA will support the implementation of the recently completed strategy of sustainable agricultural development 2030. One of the main elements of the strategy is to gradually improve farm- level irrigation efficiency from 50 to 80% by the year 2030 by modernizing farm- level irrigation, improving water quality and environment protection on 5.0 million feddan.

1.2.2 EIA Objectives

The environmental impact of irrigation water at farm level is an issue of increasing importance to the Egyptian agriculture. The aim of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to identify the impacts of the improvement in irrigation process on soil characteristics. EFIMP actually will explore ways in which farmers could improve productivity by using less chemical fertilizers and irrigation water and will monitor potential changes in the agriculture environment.

Environmental impacts can result from excessive water use, agricultural runoff and soil leaching. The environmental impact of irrigation development projects depends on the quantity and the quality of the water source, and how water is delivered to irrigated farms.

The environmental impacts arising from irrigation water at farm level can be due to :

▪ Water pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

▪ Increased erosion of cultivated soils.

▪ Salinization, alkalinzation or contamination of water by heavy metals.

▪ Leakage from irrigation system in some localized areas.

Objectives of EIA Component :

▪ Investigate the effect of irrigation and drainage systems in EIA areas.

▪ Identify the environmental impacts (positive and negative) of irrigation development projects on soil and plant.

▪ Evaluate the contaminated levels of ground water and suggest the best management practices for solving the problems.

▪ Monitoring soil fertility and ground water salinity to ascertain the extent of Salinization problems.

▪ Develop nutrient management practice at farm level.

▪ Enhance capacity building in the field of environmental impacts.

▪ Improve public awareness to raise farmer knowledge.

1.2.3 Approach and Methodology

The basic approach for the performance of the EA study had included:

▪ Experience Review: particularly those environmental experiences gained by the MALR previous and on going project. All these projects were reviewed and a commentary on the experiences gained and lessons learned were reflected in the EA study’s inception report.

▪ Document Review: Existing and relevant research studies relevant to the scope of the EA was compiled and reviewed by the consultants. The aim was to develop a baseline of existing knowledge and information such that the study would build on the body of existing knowledge and not to replicate it. (annex 1 cites some of the documents reviewed for this study)

▪ Interviews: the consultant during the course of the study has interviewed key MALR officials, district engineers, and community representatives in addition to various experts involved with the MWRI projects and the IIIMP in specific. This enabled evaluators to take a first-hand, in-depth look at the factors influencing the key environmental conditions and threats at a command area basis and how the perceived interventions would alleviate and or add on to those pressures.

▪ Field Visits: To formulate a complete picture of the existing environmental profile in each area, the team performed several field visits to all the command areas during which discussions were held with the farmers and local administration officials.

▪ Public Consultations: One public consultation was held during the study, with farmer representatives.

▪ Fast-tracked EIA/EMP for preparation/appraisal of FIMP. During FIMP preparation, a baseline data collection and analysis was carried out focusing on water quality (irrigation and drainage) and soil characteristics. A field study has been carried out on FIMP command areas at the farm and merwa levels. SWERI coordinated with EALIP to identify the related locations. This study includes collecting samples from the following:

o Water (irrigation and drainage streams).

o Soil.

o Cultivated crops.

o Groundwater (subsurface water).

The analysis of samples included the following parameters

o pH, EC, Cations, Anions, RSC and SAR.

o Zn , Fe , Mn , Cu , B, k, P, NO3-N and NH4-N.

o Pb, Cd , Cr, Co and Ni.

o Pesticides residues (Positive / Negative).

o COD and BOD.

o Bacteria (Total Coliforms, Feacal Coliforms, Salmonella and Shigella).

o Parasites.

▪ Public Consultation to Community and Stakeholders: SWERI team visited the FIMP command areas in EL-Wasat, Al- manaifa, & Al-Mahmoudia in Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Behira governorates on 9 June 2010. Ten farmer representatives (cooperatives) have been interviewed about:

o The best method of maraw improvement.

o The expected benefits from FIMP.

o Create appropriate environmental conditions (EIA & EMP results).

The feedback from the consulted participants was positive on all three aspects. See details in Section 5.9, pages 77 and 78 below. The participants names, their locations, and names of their cooperatives, are provided in Table 1.1 below.

Table (1.1): List of Interviewed Farmers from various locations.

|Farmer Name |Meska |Plot |Cooperative |Governorate |

|Khaled Abdelfatah El-Beltagi |Ghalab |El-Gezera3 |El-Wezaria |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Samy Omer Mostafa |Omer4 Left |El-Beria |El-Beria |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Fathi Helmi Abdelgilil |End-Elwahal |El-Beria |El-Beria |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Goma Ali Talha |El-Beria |El-Beria |El-Beria |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Alwani Aglan |Pump1 Right |El-Shabassia |Aglan El-ghonimi |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Shahat Saleh |Pump3 right |El-ghafara |Aglan |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Ahmed Ramadan Abdalla |El-mostah |El-qettaa |Hesa El-ghonimi |Khafr El-Sheikh |

|Mostafa Abdelaziz wasola |Sharaf El-Din 1 |Sharaf El-Din |El-Sebakh |El-Beheira |

|Ahmed Mahmoud El-gamal |El-Gamal |El-Gamal |Qabeel |El-Beheira |

|Fathi Abdelaziz Baquch |Baquch |Ber Safan |Besentawi |El-Beheira |

2. POLICY, LEGAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAME WORK

The Egyptian institutional and legal framework for water quality management has been described by several projects as extremely complex, mainly because of the large number of government agencies with related responsibilities for water quality management activities, each of which is guided by its set of laws, decrees and operating policy. This section of the report establishes a baseline identification of the major policies with bearing on the environmental component of the FIMP, institutional bodies with direct quality management responsibility (highlighting the area of quality management mandated), as well as the regulatory framework within each agency operates.

The section also addresses the identification process of the World Bank’s applicable operational policies and the relevant international environmental agreements applicable to the environmental dimension of the project.

2.1 Policy Framework

Three main policies relevant to the FIMP environmental component have been identified. Each of these policies represents the objectives of the originating/implementing authority to address environmental aspects relevant to the FIMP.

Agricultural Policy

Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation has completed its policy for agricultural development for the period 1997/up to 2016/2017 and 2030. This policy development has been the center of support by the Agricultural Policy Reform Program funded by the USAID. The consultants have noted that the policy, although focuses on the reduction of agricultural chemicals and pesticides in general and efficient water use, it does not seem to include environmental conservation - pollution prevention and sustainable development as a main and dedicated objective. At all rates, the main objectives of the existing policy include:

▪ Increase the annual rate of growth of agricultural production to 4.1%.

▪ Sustain the increase in cereals production which amounts recently to 18 million tons yearly through the contrivance of high yielding varieties, national campaigns, and setting optional floor price for targeted crops so as to be consistent with border price and maintain rice acreage around 900 thousand feddans a year.

▪ Increase edible oil crops production to substitute imports through the expansion of sunflower, soybeans and Canola areas and setting acceptable optional floor price of such crops.

▪ Increase sugar production through the expansion of sugar-beet crop which proved to be promising in several governorates. More beet-sugar factories are planned to be established in Fayoum governorate and Nubaria Zone.

▪ Upgrade horticultural crops marketing efficiency, whose production amounts recently to 21 million tons yearly, through pursuing improved post harvest treatment, establishment of vegetables& fruits stock of exchange, and functioning the comparative advantages in production and exports in light of WTO and EUR &USA partnerships with Egypt.

▪ Maintain restrictions on excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in line with giving more room to biological integrated pest management to minimize cost of production, upgrade quality to survive severe competition in the world markets and keep environment safe.

▪ Place more emphasis on irrigation water use efficiency and agricultural soil improvement and maintenance projects. The Executive Authority for Land Improvement Projects (EALIP) assumes to perform extra services such as agricultural gypsum addition, deep plowing, laser land leveling and tile drainage services.

▪ Increase animal production protein from its numerous sources to maintain self sufficiency of poultry meat, dairy products and eggs and raise self sufficiency in red meat. These objectives could be attained through the revival and development of Veal Production Project, upgrade veterinarian services, up level productivity of indigenous cattle (buffalo, cows and sheep) through adoption of efficient breeding and genetic improvement programs. Likewise, fish resource development projects.

▪ Support agricultural researches, marketing extension, mobilize woman role in agricultural and rural development and develop agricultural cooperative legislations to cope with the new trends of privatization, liberalization and economic reform programs.

▪ Develop the credit policies pursued by the PBDAC to play an active and constructive role in agricultural sector through extending more credit facilities and services to all agricultural rural activities. The Bank also assumes to create and encourage saving awareness among rural population and its units are planned to work on economic basis through restructuring and reorganizing themselves down to the village bank level.

▪ Maintain the system of letting the recently graduated youth to own some reclaimed land in the framework of Mubarak National Project to alleviate unemployment problem. The rest of reclaimed land will be allocated for small farmers investors.

▪ Keep proceeding in New Land Reclamation Programs on the area of 3.4 million feddans of the land ranked on top of priorities envisaged by Master Plan of Land Resources. Those targeted lands are located in Upper Egypt and Oases (New Valley governorate), East and North of Suez Canal, and in National South Valley Development Program aiming at creation of new integrated communities to alleviate living conditions in dense populous areas in Delta and in old Valley strip.

▪ Creation of conducive environment for Egyptian, Arab and Foreign investors.

Water Resources Policy

The MWRI in coordination with MALR and other ministries has developed a national policy with three major pillars of: 1) increasing water use efficiency; 2) water quality protection; and 3) pollution control and water supply augmentation. Detailed national water resources management and investment plans were also developed by the National Water Resources Plan Project (NWRP).

The MWRI have also initiated over the past few years various activities in collaboration with different donor organizations designed to revise and update water policies and to strengthen key institutions (Some of which were presented in section 2). As a generalization, these policy support initiatives could be classified into supporting four categories: Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM); Institutional Development and Organizational Strengthening (IDOS); Water Quantity Management (WM); and Water Quality Management and Pollution Control (WQMPC).

The MWRI finalized the National Water Resources Plan project, with support from the Dutch government. The project had the main goal of supporting the water sector in developing a National Water Resources Plan to the year 2017 that describes how Egypt will safeguard its water resources in the future both with respect to quantity and quality. The project also involved developing a coordination mechanism to develop consensus on the objectives and directives of the NWRP prepared and approved.

National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP)

The first NEAP for Egypt was developed in 1999 with major support from the World Bank and other donors. Based on the recommendations of the 92 NEAP, the Law 4 was introduced, the MSEA was promulgated and large number of donor projects was implemented to support the environmental objectives and actions needed to address the deteriorating quality of the natural environment and its consequential impacts on sustained development and human health.

In 2002, via support from Capacity 21 project, a new NEAP has been developed for Egypt. The NEAP addresses a number of pertinent issues and does recommend a host of interventions (policy related, regulatory, and technical/institutional) particularly relevant to solid waste management, fresh water resources management, and rural sanitation. To the best of the consultants’ knowledge, the 2002 NEAP has not yet been approved by the MSEA.

2.2 Legal Framework and Guidelines

The framework of laws and regulations has been surveyed during the reporting stage. Table ( 2.1) gives an overview of the laws and decrees regulating water quality.

Table (2.1): Principal Environmental Laws, Decrees and Regulations.

|Environmental law |Date |Authority |Decrees Regulations |Implementing Agency |

|Law 12 (and its supplementary Law |1984 |Main legislation for irrigation and |has recently been revised and |MWRI |

|213/1994) | |drainage |approved by Parliament. | |

|Law No. 4 on Environment |1994 |Establishment of EEAA and Environmental|Decree No. 338 of 1995 (Executive |MOEA; EEAA |

| | |Trust Fund; requirement of EIA; |Regulation) | |

| | |regulation of air pollution, hazardous | | |

| | |waste management, and marine pollution | | |

|Law No. 102 on Natural Protectorates|1983 |Designation and management of natural |Decrees designating sites |MOEA; EEAA |

| | |protectorates | | |

|Law No. 124 on Fisheries |1983 |Management and protection of fisheries | |MALR |

| | |and marine animals | | |

|Law No. 48 on Protection of Nile and|1982 |Control of pollution of surface waters |Decree No. 8 of 1983 (standards for |MWRI |

|its Waterways | | |wastewater discharges to surface | |

| | | |waters) | |

| | | |The law has recently been modified | |

| | | |and approved by parliament | |

|Law No. 137 on Labour |1981 |Control of work place safety and | |Ministry of Manpower and |

| | |environment | |Immigration |

|Law No. 27 on Public Water Sources |1978 |Protection of public water sources for |Decree No. 27 of 1966 (Supreme |MOHP; Supreme Committee |

| | |drinking and domestic purposes |Committee Water) Appendix IV of |for Water |

| | | |1975(Standards for potable water) | |

|Law No. 31 on Public Cleanliness |1976 |Control of solid waste management | |MHUUC |

| | |(amends Law No. 38 of 1967) | | |

|Law No. 38 on Public Cleanliness |1967 |Control of solid waste management |Decree No. 134 of 1968 (waste from |MHUUC |

| | |(including hazardous waste) |domestic and industrial Sources) | |

|Law No. 53 on Agriculture |1966 |Regulation of purchase, importation and|Decree No. 50 of 1966 (registration |MALR |

| | |handling of pesticides |and licensing requirements) | |

|Law No. 93 on Wastewater and |1962 |Control of wastewater discharges and |Decree No. 643 of 1962(Standards for |MHUNC |

|Drainage | |drainage to public sewers |wastewater discharges to public | |

| | | |sewers) | |

Environmental legislation relating to water comprises different laws and decrees, which are under the responsibility of different ministries.

Law 48/1982 is the basic legislative framework for the protection of surface and groundwater against pollution.

In the law a distinction is made between the Nile and the irrigation canals which are referred to as “fresh”, and the drains, lakes and ponds, which are referred to as “brackish”. The responsibility for licensing of wastewater discharge is granted to the MWRI, whereas the Ministry of Health and Population is responsible for monitoring of the effluents. Only discharge of treated industrial wastewater is permitted into fresh water bodies, while treated municipal wastewater can only be discharged to “brackish” water bodies. Moreover, the reuse of drainage water is also regulated.

Law 48/1982 establishes a fund from the revenues of levies, fines and costs, which can be used for the administration, donations, research and incentives.

Executive regulations of Law 48 provide water quality standards for industrial discharges to the Nile and canals, domestic and industrial discharges to drains and brackish lakes, reuse of drainage water to be mixed with canals, and receiving water bodies. Discharge of treated sanitary effluents to the Nile River and canals is not allowed at all (article 63, Decree 8/1983) and any discharge of sanitary waste into other water bodies should be chlorinated (article 67, Decree 8/1983).

Law 4 of 1994 & Law 9 of 2009 Editing Environmental Law4/1994

(Environmental Framework Law) Law 4/1994 deals with enforcement for all but fresh water resources, those are with MWRI. It concerns the environment in general. Law 48/1982 is not integrated into the new law. Instead, Law 4/1994 refers to Law 48/1982 for specific regulations on water quality. An important element of Law 4/1994 is the establishment of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA). From the viewpoint of Integrated Water Resources Management Law 4/1994 provides regulations for the protection against pollution of seashores, ports, etc. that are not covered by Law 48/1982.

The legal basis for irrigation and drainage is set in Law No. 12/1982 and its supplementary Law No. 213/1994 which defines the use and management of public and private sector irrigation and drainage systems including main canals, feeders and drains.

Law 12/1982 defines public properties related to irrigation and drainage, for example the River Nile, the main canals, public feeders and public drains and their embankments.

The law regulates the use of groundwater and drainage water (construction of wells or the use of drainage water and water pumps). It provides the regulations for the development of new land and the price that has to be paid for the irrigation and drainage of land. Section VII of the Law describes the penalties for violations. Finally, some provisions are given to settle disputes and a fund for the repair of irrigation works is established.

Law 12/1982 is primarily aimed at irrigation as the dominant water user and the Ministry of Irrigation (now MWRI) as the water manager that has to give permission for all abstractions of water. Other water users are not mentioned in particular.

Law 213 (1994): Farmer Participation

Law 213/1994 provides the legal basis for the establishment of farmer participation for improved irrigation systems. The Law enables the recovery of costs in case of landowner neglects his duties with respect to the maintenance of the irrigation or drainage system or if he violates the authorization for irrigation of new land.

A new law regulating the legal basis of Water User Associations is drafted and is approved by parliament.

Law 93/1962 regulates Wastewater Disposal and Reuse

Decree No. 649/1962 of the Minister of Housing issues the executive regulations of Law 93/1962. It specifies regulatory standards for wastewater disposal. It was updated in 1989 by Decree No. 9/1989 in which a distinction was made between wastewater disposal on sandy soils and clay silt soils.

In 1995 an amendment was made by both the Ministry of Irrigation and the Ministry of Agriculture and approved by the Ministry of Health. It has been issued by the Minister of Housing decree No 44/2000. This amendment set standards for quality of wastewater discharged in the public sewer network and determined the minimum degree required for wastewater treatment for the various reuse aspects. In 2005, new standards for the reuse of wastewater were set in the Egyptian Code for the Use of Treated Wastewater in Agriculture and the previous standards for reuse, defined in decree 44/2000, are not valid anymore.

Decree No. 649/1962 of the Minister of Housing issues the executive regulations of Law 93/1962. It specifies regulatory standards for wastewater disposal. It was updated in 1989 by Decree No. 9/1989 in which a distinction was made between wastewater disposal on sandy soils and clay silt soils. Reuse of effluent in the irrigation of vegetables, fruits or any other crops eaten uncooked is strictly prohibited. The same restriction is imposed on grazing of animals or milking cattle on the fields irrigated with wastewater.

In 1995 an amendment was made by both the Ministry of Irrigation and the Ministry of Agriculture and approved by the Ministry of Health. It has been issued by the Minister of Housing by Decree No. 44/2000. This practically very important amendment determined the minimum degree required for wastewater treatment for the various reuse aspects. It corresponds to the WHO guidelines of 1989.Within the framework of Law 48, Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) samples and analyses drain waters to be mixed with irrigation waters, industrial and domestic wastewater treatment plant effluents and wastes discharged from river vessels. In case of non-compliance of discharges, the MWRI generally takes action upon notification from the MOHP.

2.3 World Bank Safeguard Policies

Based on consultation with the client and the World Bank appraisal mission in Egypt and in accordance with the requirements of the ToR for the EA Study, a review and analysis of the existing World Bank safeguard policies, as well as the extent of each policy’s applicability to the FIMP, was conducted. The analysis of applicability was benchmarked against the environmental profile prepared for each command area. Table (2.3) reflects the consultants finding on the applicability of each policy and the reasoning for the decision.

Table (2.2): Safeguards Policies Applicability.

|World Bank Safe Guard Policy Item |Policy Applicability |Reasoning |

|Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01, BP 4.01, GP |Yes |Category B Project |

|4.01) | |Minor negative direct impacts perceived |

| | |External impacts perceived |

|Natural Habitats (OP 4.04, BP 4.04, GP 4.04) |No |The command areas are not situated in Natural Habitats |

|Forestry (OP 4.36, GP 4.36) |No |Command areas are not situated in forests |

| | |FIMP does not involve forestation or combating deforestation |

| | |No forests will be affected by the project |

|Pest Management (OP 4.09) |Yes |The project does not include provisions for pest control or |

| | |pesticides provision |

| | |GoE is pursuing IPM practices and reduced considerably the |

| | |reliance on chemical best pest combating |

|Cultural Property (OPN 11.03) |No |No significant cultural resources identified in the project |

| | |area |

|Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20) |No |No distinctive indigenous ethnicity identified in the project |

| | |area with distinct cultural characteristics |

|Involuntary Resettlement |No |The project will focus on marwa-level and on-farm improvements|

|(OP/BP 4.12) | |and will not involve considerable resettlement of communities |

|Safety of Dams |No |No dams involved in the project |

|(OP 4.37, BP 4.37) | | |

|Projects in International Water Ways (OP 7.50, BP|Yes |Policy applies as the irrigation system is considered legally |

|7.50, GP 7.50) | |part of an international waterway (Nile) |

| | |However, since no direct impacts on riparians will ensue from |

| | |the project activities, notification to riparians is not |

| | |mandated |

|Projects in Disputed Areas (OP 7.60, BP 7.60, GP |No |Project area is within the sovereign territory of Egypt. |

|7.60) | | |

The consultants are under the opinion that the safeguard policy on Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01) applies to the FIMP, which was designated a Category B project. The EA has further assessed the extent of safeguard policy on Pest Management (OP 4.09) applicability to the FIMP, taking into consideration that the FIMP will not finance the procurement of any pesticides nor bring new lands into agricultural production. The GoE is already applying an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system where the use of pesticides is reduced considerably.

Nevertheless, OP4.09 has been triggered, and a basic Pest Management Plan (PMP) is prepared as part of the EMP in order to ensure compliance with OP 4.09 and potentially contribute to the pool of mitigation measures recommended to prevent and control water pollution, knowing that:

▪ the project does not attempt to expand on the existing cultivated lands within its command areas; (mainly focusing on improved productivity)

▪ the proposed on-farm sub-component (fostering Laser land-leveling and a more timely irrigation-scheduling) will help ration the application of pesticides and fertilizers, thus minimizing their residues;

▪ export-oriented crop diversification is not a prime outcome of the project.

3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

3.1 Project Rationale

The Government of Egypt (GOE) has recently completed its Strategy of Sustainable Agricultural Development 2030. One of the main elements of the strategy is to gradually improve farm-level irrigation efficiency[1] from 50 to 80 percent by the year 2030 by modernizing farm-level irrigation on 5 million feddans. Since water resources are essential for agricultural production and rural livelihoods, improvements in irrigation efficiency will greatly benefit the sector, which plays a critical role in the Egyptian economy. The sector contributes to national income (17 percent) and exports (about 20 percent of total exports). Sector development could also help reduce rural poverty, which is relatively high (52 percent) compared to urban poverty (26 percent), with many of the rural poor depending on agriculture as their primary income source. Water use in Egypt is limited to about 68 billion m3 per year from different sources, including groundwater and drainage water reuse, with the present 850 m3 per capita share decreasing rapidly due to an annual population increase of 2.1 percent. Eighty five percent of the available water irrigates about 8.5 million feddans, but irrigation efficiency is low with both physical and operational factors resulting in large water wastages. Conveyance and distribution efficiencies do not exceed 70 percent, while farm-level efficiencies average about 50 percent with application levels usually in excess of crop and soil water needs. Irrigation efficiency improvements will thus increase productivity and could help alleviate rural poverty.

The Bank’s interventions in agriculture and water resources have played a central role in the development of the sector, with almost 85 percent of the irrigated area served through its irrigation, drainage and pump station projects. These projects have focused on improving water delivery and drainage, reducing water logging and salinity, and improving capacity to operate and manage the infrastructure. For example, the completed Irrigation Improvement Project (IIP) and the ongoing Integrated Irrigation Improvement and Management Project (IIIMP) have primarily addressed improvements to the irrigation system at the mesqa[2] level. Lessons learned from the IIP indicated a need to focus on irrigation system improvement at the marwa[3] level as well as farm-level improvements to build on these upstream investments, resulting in pilot and demonstration areas covering some 6,000 feddans being established under the IIIMP. The Farm-level Irrigation Modernization Project (FIMP) would focus on scaling-up these ongoing pilot activities coupled with improvements in extension service delivery to prepare MALR for implementation of the national program for farm-level irrigation improvement. The GOE/MALR is mobilizing donors to support their strategy, and has requested the Bank’s assistance to address farm-level irrigation modernization on about 200,000 feddans as a first phase of the longer-term GOE program. The Bank’s objectives in the agriculture sector, as consistently expressed over the last three CASs, have included improving the management and efficiency of the use of water and land resources. The FIMP is explicitly in line with these objectives.

3.2 Proposed Objectives

The project development objective is to increase the irrigation efficiency and productivity of around 200,000 feddans primarily in the Delta old lands. This would be achieved through modernization of farm-level irrigation systems and improved water management in areas where upstream irrigation improvement interventions, both physical and institutional, have occurred and are fully functional. Such improvements have demonstrated significant positive impacts on water use and productivity, energy use, labor requirements and net financial returns to farmers. The project would also help to strengthen the delivery of farmer support services to help them achieve these goals. The success of the project would be measured by the following indicators:

▪ Reduced water consumption and increased irrigation efficiency as measured by water use per unit area (m3/feddan) and net returns per unit of water used (LE/m3);

▪ Increased farmer incomes as measured by real annual net returns from crop production per unit land area (LE/feddan); and

▪ Improved extension service delivery and performance monitoring.

3.3 Project Description

The proposed project would provide a sector investment loan of US$ 100 million over a five year period,

Component 1: Farm-Level Irrigation Improvements (approximately US$ 80 million). This component would support marwa and farm-level irrigation modernization for farmers on 200,000 feddans primarily in three Delta old land irrigation command areas (Mahmoudia, Manaifa and Meet Yazid). [4] These locations are where branch canal and mesqa improvements have been carried out or are currently ongoing and where local organizations have been formed for sustainable O&M and irrigation management. This component would provide financing for the following activities: (i) marwa and off-farm improvements comprising various pipe and hydrant systems, open channels and small gated outlets, with options designed and implemented in accordance with farmer needs and agreement; (ii) demand-driven farm-level improvements such as laser land-leveling, reshaping field drains, soil improvements, flexible hose systems, gated pipes or localized systems appropriate for horticultural crops; (iii) provision of machinery and equipment for land improvement, including support for the establishment of small private workshops for installation and maintenance; and (iv) field surveys, designs, and construction supervision and management.

Figure (3.1): Marwa improvement process

Component 2: Farm-level Technology Development and Dissemination (approximately US$ 20 million). The component would strengthen relevant MALR agencies and organizations[5] responsible for implementation and O&M of the irrigation systems through training and improved information and monitoring systems, and would encompass project management including monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Component 2 would finance enhancement of farmer knowledge of modern irrigation and crop production technologies in support of component 1 through: (i) establishment of marwa-level demonstrations of farm-level irrigation technologies, including those suited for horticultural crops; (ii) farm-level adaptive research to identify innovative, cost-effective and efficient water application technologies and to increase yields; (iii) development of improved irrigation extension and advisory services including better delivery and performance monitoring; (iv) farmer training and support in improved farm-level water management, irrigation O&M, cropping practices including horticultural production, and marketing; and (v) design of potential irrigation technologies. These activities would be carried out in close interaction with participating farmers and the private sector. This component would pilot an improved extension model that can be monitored and transferred to other regions in support of the national MALR program for farm-level irrigation improvement.

3.4 Project Areas

As presently investigated, the EIA interventions are intended to relate to command areas of three irrigation and drainage Schemes of FIMP, Two sub-projects are located in the Middle Delta area, south of Lake Borulus and one in northern edge of west Delta, Egypt as following:

▪ Mahmoudia: northern edge of West Delta;

▪ El Wasat: in Middle Delta, a sub-area of the Meet-Ya-Zeed command area;

▪ Manaifa: Northern edge of Middle Delta, immediately south of Lake Burulus.

The total area of the project comprises 500,000 feddan. SWERI will need to coordinate with EALIP re-identifying the project locations relevant to the EIA study,Fig.(3.1).

4. BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE

The three project areas are geographically distributed in the Middle and Western Delta regions. The common feature among the command areas is that they are all situated in a densely populated rural environment intermittent with peri-urban settlements. This rural/peri-urban environment in Egypt has very similar physical, biological, and socio-economic characteristics all of which have been influenced by each area’s local needs to exploit the natural environment to the extent possible to sustain an ever increasing population.

4.1 Description of Project Command areas

4.1.1 Middle Nile Delta - Wasat and Manaifa Command areas

Gharbia Drain is by far the largest drainage system in the Middle Delta, running from south to north. In the upstream part of the catchment, a considerable part of its drainage water is municipal drainage. Some secondary drains flows its drainage water into Gharbia main drain. These drains are such as Samatay drain and Drain No. 6. Samatay drain discharges its water into Gharbia drain by Samatay Pump Station. Meanwhile, Pump Station No. 6 lifts the drainage water of Drain No. 6 into Gharbia drain.

Numbers of Pump Stations are operational for reusing the catchment’s drainage water in irrigation. Menufeya Reuse pump Station in the south is returning drainage water to Bahr Abassy, just downstream of its intake from Damietta Branch. Mahallet Ruh Reuse Pump Station is discharging water into Mit Yazeed Canal (Table 4.1). Mahalle Kubra Reuse Pump Station is lifting Gharbia water into Damietta Branch downstream of Zifta Barrage. Finally, Hamul Reuse Pump Station is mixing Gharbia drainage water into Bahr Teera, just downstream of the drinking water intake of Hamul City. The remaining part of Gharbia Drain catchment discharge, with an exception of Hafir Shehab Eddin Pump Station, is intended to be reused in the downstream reaches of the irrigation canals near Lake Burullus and the Kalbsho reclamation area. For this purpose a dam has been constructed in Gharbia Main Drain, just upstream of the confluence with Hafir Shehab Eddin Drain.

Drains 7&8 in the central-northern part of the Middle Delta drain mainly agricultural areas. In this northern part of the Nile Delta, much saline seepage is attracted by the drainage system (sometimes referred to as seawater intrusion). Both drains are connected by the Moheet Drain at the suction side of the Pump Stations. Drains 7&8 discharge into Lake Burullus, which is in open connection with the Mediterranean Sea. At the delivery side of the Lifting Pump Stations, many farmers have settled to reclaim lands on the shore of Lake Burullus, using the drainage water. Many fish farms have also been started here.

Table (4.1): Water Quality Monitoring Locations in Meet Yazed Command Area

|Location Code |Monitored Sites |

|Water Quality Status in Meet Yazeed Irrigation network |

|MI07 |Miet Yazeed Canal downstream Mahlet Ruh drain reuse P.S. |

|MI11 |Miet Yazeed Canal downstream Kafr el-Sheikh city |

|Water Quality Status in Miet Yazeed Drainage Network |

|MG03 |Mahlet Ruh P.S. for mixing drainage water with Miet Yazeed canal |

|MG04 |Outfall of Samtay drain into Gharbia drain |

|M701 |Outfall of drain no.7 into Lake Brullus |

|M801 |Outfall of lower drain no.8 into Lake Brullus |

|MG07 |Outfall of drain no.6 into of Gharbia drain |

|MG14 |Outfall of into of Gharbia drain |

Fig.(4.1) shows the sites of monitoring location of irrigation systems in Nile Delta.

Fig.(4.2) shows the sites of monitoring location of drainage systems in Nile Delta.

4.1.2 Western Nile Delta - Mahmoudia Command Area

Edko main drainage system is taking care of the drainage requirements of the Eastern part of the Western Nile Delta. In the south, through Khandak Reuse Pump Station and Etay Barud Reuse Pump Station, drainage water is reused in the Khandak Sharqy and Khandak Gharbi Canals. Further downstream, where the proportion of municipal drainage has increased, Edko Irrigation Pump Station is lifting part of its discharge into Mahmoudeya Canal where it crosses Edko Drain ( Table 4.2) . Mahmoudeya Canal is providing drinking water to Alexandria City and surroundings. The remaining part of drainage from the Edko catchment is ending up in Lake Edko, where recently fish cultures have been started on a considerable scale using the water from Edko Drain and Bosseily Pump Station.

The second large drainage system in the Western Nile Delta is the Umum drainage system running from the south to the north-west in the Western Nile Delta. Its drainage water is dominated by agricultural drainage and the drainage system most probably attracts saline seepage from the upstream irrigated areas in Nubareya. Plans have been made in the past to reuse the upstream part of Umum catchment drainage for reuse through the Nubareya Canal in the Western Desert for land reclamation projects. The water of three sub-catchments was planned to be used for this: Abu Hummus, Shereishra and Truga sub-catchments. For two of these sub-catchments part of the infrastructure has been constructed. For Truga the salinity is very high and it is doubtful whether the discharge of this sub-catchment can be used sustainable in agriculture. The project has been called to stop due to expected salinity problems for the drinking water production in Borg El Arab. South of Alexandria, Umum main drain passes through Lake Mariut, which has largely dried up and is finally pumped, together with the discharge of some minor catchments into the Mediterranean Sea.

Table (4.2): Water Quality Monitoring Locations in Mahmoudyia Command Area

|Location Code |Monitored Sites |

|Water Quality Status in Meet Yazeed Irrigation network |

|MI07 |Mahmoudyia canal downstream the junction with Khandak canal |

|WI08 |Mahmoudyia canal upstream the Kafr El-Dawar drinking water intake |

|WI09 |Mahmoudyia canal upstream Alex-andria drinking water intake |

|WI11 |Mahmoudyia canal upstream of Edko reuse pump Station |

|Water Quality Status in Mahmoudia Drainage network |

|WE03 |Zarkon P.S for Lifting Drainage water to Edko downstream Shubrakhit P.S. |

|WE07 |Khairy P.S.for Lifting drainage water from Khairy drain to Edko drain |

|WE08 |Halq El-Gammal P.S for Lifting drainage water from Halq |

| |El-Gammal drain to Edko drain |

|Omum drain system |

|WU01 |Apo Hommes P.S for lifting drainage water from Abo Hommes drain to Omum drain |

|WU05 |Dishidi P.S.for lifting drainage water from Dishudi drain to Omum drain |

|WU07 |Abies P.S for lifting drainage water for lifting drainage water from Abies drain to Omum drain |

Fig.(4.1) shows the sites of monitoring location of irrigation systems in Nile Delta.

Fig.(4.2) shows the sites of monitoring location of drainage systems in Nile Delta.

Figure (4.1): National monitoring locations of the irrigation system in the Nile Delta Regions.

[pic]

Figure (4.2): National monitoring locations of the drainage system in the Nile Delta Regions.

4.2 Water Quality Status

4.2.1 Water Quality Assessment Parameters and Guidelines

In reality, as many of possible water uses, there are always quality standards/ guidelines that should be taken into account before using the water. Therefore and for the purpose of this study, the following water quality indicators were considered according to the possible uses of the water in the systems under discussion:

▪ Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

▪ Chemical parameters (EC and TDS)

▪ Physical (pH)

Tables (4.3) and (4.4) present the selected water quality parameters (included in the analysis) and the related quality standards/guidelines for some possible water uses. The historical data sets for the monitoring locations presented in Tables (4.1) and (4.2) were used. The data were collected during the period from August 2004 to July 2009.

Table (4.3): Drainage Water Quality Standards/Guidelines[6],[7], [8]

|Parameters |Water Quality Standards |

|DO |Law 48, 1982, art. 68 (Ambient drainage water) |4 (mg/l) |

| |Law 48, 1982, art. 65 (Official Reuse) and CCREM, 1987 (Fishery and Aquatic |5 (mg/l) |

| |Life) | |

|TDS |Law 48, 1982, art. 68 (Ambient drainage water) |650 (mg/l) |

| |FAO 1985, Water for surface Irrigation |2000 (mg/l) |

|pH |Law 48, 1982, art. 65 (Official Reuse) |6.0 - 8.5 |

Table (4.4): Fresh Water Quality Standards(mg/l)/Guideline [9]

|Fresh Water Quality Standards |DO |TDS |NO3 |NH4 |Fe |

4.2.2 Meet Yazeed Irrigation Network

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Dissolved oxygen is a measure of the amount of oxygen freely available in water. The concentration of dissolved Oxygen (DO) gives information on the possibilities for flora

Table (4.5): Guidelines for Interpretation of Water Quality for Irrigation1

(Source: FAO, 1985)

|Potential Irrigation Problem |Degree of Restriction on Use |

| |

|ECw |dS/m |3.0 |

|(or) | | | | |

|TDS |mg/l |2000 |

|Infiltration (affects infiltration rate of water into the soil. Evaluate using ECW and SAR together)3 |

|SAR and = 0-3 |ECw = | |>0.7 |0.7-0.2 |1.2 |1.2-0.3 |1.9 |1.9-0.5 |2.9 |2.9-1.3 |5.0 |5.0-2.9 | ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download