This baseline report informs the development of the RNBWS (Resilient Nature-based Water Solutions) pilot project and wider project activities.
The RNBWS pilot project1 focuses on addressing several key challenges, including salinity, productivity and environmental performance of farms within existing systems, and women's involvement in agricultural value chains.
The pilot project, includes several key elements. It aims at optimizing agricultural production in irrigation district through laser levelling, drainage improvements, solar-powered surface irrigation system, and soil salinity treatments. Farmer capacity and resource management is also addressed through farmer field schools, targeted capacity building, and establishment and training of the first Water User Association in Izbat, Al-Hamra. Installation of women-owned and neighborhood-based food processing facilities, and entrepreneurship training aims to add value to Izabat's agriculture sector.
More generally, Al Murunah endeavors to address water security challenges in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region through the application of RNBWS with a special focus on agriculture. RNBWS are spatially integrated combinations of nature-based solutions (NBS) for water and agricultural water management, coupled with social and market mechanisms to support their sustainability. This report provides a detailed description and analysis of the biophysical, agricultural, socioeconomic, and policy context relevant to:
The RNBWS pilot interventions focus on Izbat Al-Hamra village, a microcosm of the historically cultivated "old lands" in Lower Egypt. The village is located in the district of Abu Al-Matamir in the Beheira Governorate (Western Nile Delta). The pilot is being developed through a participatory multi-stakeholder process that emphasizes the equitable involvement of women.
This report presents a synthesis analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) related to RNBWS in Abu Al-Matamir, alongside specific pilot project strategies and general recommendations for RNBWS and integrated agricultural and water resource development in the Beheira Governorate.