Rainwater in Egypt: quantity, distribution and harvesting

Abstract

Egypt has limited water resources, and it will be under water stress by the year 2030. Therefore, Egypt should consider natural and non-conventional water resources to overcome such a problem. Rain harvesting is one solution, but not the only one, particularly on the north coast by the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. In this paper, the rainwater issue is reviewed and discussed in terms of the quantities and distribution at different selected areas in Egypt. The amount of rainfall at different locations in Egypt was collected for a period of 16 months. The data indicated that rainfall in Egypt is very scarce, with an annual average of 12 mm and ranges from 0 mm/year in the desert to 200 mm/year in the north coastal region. The maximum total amount of rain does not exceed 1.8 billion m 3 per year. However, the average annual amount of rainfall water that is effectively utilized for agricultural purposes is estimated to be 1 billion m 3 . A harvesting pilot plant was constructed and implemented in Alexandria directly on the Mediterranean Sea. The harvested rain was used for irrigation and treated for drinking. It is, therefore, recommended to develop sustainable catchments at appropriate locations in the rain-fed areas on the north coast as well as cost effective grafting of indigenous technologies with innovative techniques.

Past and future trends of Egypt’s water consumption and its sources

“…Sea level rise and saltwater intrusion are already a threat to freshwater . This is the flow at Dongola station adjusted by evaporation at Lake Nasser and from other surface water bodies (estimated at 10 km 3 and 2 km 3 respectively) 2 , with added rainfall and primary groundwater abstraction (1.5 km 3 and 0.5 km 3 respectively) 12,52 . Storage change in Lake Nasser is not considered in this availability estimate.…”

“…e. AQUASTAT12 . f. Abdel-Shafy et al, 201052 . g. Calculated through estimation of surface area and evaporation rate.…”

Managing Drought and Water Stress in Northern Africa

“…The mean annual rainfall is between 0 mm in the desert to 200 mm in the north coastal region with an annual average of about 12 mm. The total amount of rainwater may reach 1.8 billion m 3 per year [11]. It is predicted that the mean annual precipitation will decline not only in Egypt but also in almost Mediterranean African countries.…”

Collaborative Advanced Building Methodology toward Industrialization of Informal Settlements in Cairo

“…In order to propose feasible functions for the Cairene environments, some technologies are a re-reading of traditional techniques. For instance, rainwater harvest, a technology whose first examples in the country date back to at least 2000 years [16], is the main principle of the water cluster. Another element that has been used into the façade module is the Mashrabiya, traditionally used to control light and air direction, reduce temperature, and provide privacy.…”