Virtual Water Trade as a Solution for Water Scarcity in Egypt

Water Resour Manage (2010) 24:24372448 DOI 10.1007/s11269-009-9560-9

Virtual Water Trade as a Solution for Water Scarcity in Egypt

Alaa El-Sadek

Received: 19 August 2009 / Accepted: 9 December 2009 / Published online: 24 December 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Abstract Understanding the virtual water trade concept and strategy is important for formulating informed policies for improving water use efciency at different levels. However, the introduction of virtual water concept as a policy option in Egypt is still in need for extensive investigations, research, and feasibility evaluation. Currently, Egypts net virtual water import as a percentage of water resources has mounted to be 23.55%. The main concern, here, is to apply the concept of virtual water as a strategy in a way that meets its interests and objectives dened in the Egyptian National Water Resources Plan. This paper is primarily concerned with investigating the prevailing water/food situation in Egypt. It outlines water and food security situation and gures, as well as policy measures undertaken to meet the challenges. The role of virtual water within a broader policy framework is demonstrated using crop production and international trade data from Egypt, where substantial amounts of virtual water is embodied in wheat and maize imports. It is argued that for a country like Egypt, affordability of applying the virtual water concept may not be a major problem, but more the priority and independency related to food security. In order to adopt the application of virtual water concept in the national water resources strategy of Egypt, there is a need for a clear vision and understanding of its advantages and disadvantages according to the Egyptian conditions. This new concept as a policy option in Egypt requires further research and thorough understanding of the impacts and interactions on the local social, economic, environmental, cultural, natural, and political situation.

Keywords Economical situation Egypt Policy option Virtual water

Water scarcity

A. El-Sadek (B)

Water Resources Management Program, College of Graduate Studies, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahraine-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

2438 A. El-Sadek

1 Introduction

Water, an indispensable commodity for life of all beings and for the development and well being of human societies, has a nite nature of availability at global, regional and national territorial theaters. The need for it, at individual and...