Innovations in Irrigation

Irrigation first began in Egypt around 6000 BCE and makes up over 86 percent of water withdrawals today. Agriculture is such an essential part of Egypt’s GDP that the Government of Egypt made improving irrigation efficiency an economic priority. While Egyptian farmers have made great strides in modernizing their irrigation practices and increasing their water use efficiency, governorates in Upper Egypt lag in water efficiency and crop productivity due to the higher evapotranspiration rates (more water needed per feddan, which is little over one acre), higher costs of irrigation equipment, and fewer local service providers to inform farmers and sell them more efficient irrigation equipment.