By Amira Sayed and Wael Salem
The state is exerting tremendous efforts and implementing major projects nationwide, especially in the governorates of Upper Egypt. This comes within the framework of a comprehensive vision to develop Upper Egypt and provide a decent life for citizens.
Water resources and irrigation projects are at the heart of the development projects currently being implemented, given that water is the main axis of development, with priority given to the governorates of Upper Egypt.
In recent years, the Irrigation Ministry has carried projects to modernise and develop the network of canals, drains, watering canals and field irrigation, in addition to refurbishing pumping stations, expanding the use of agricultural drainage water, and protection projects from flood hazards in Upper Egypt.
Developing water management
The Ministry of Irrigation carried out rehabilitation work on 2,000 kilometres of canal at a cost of LE6.50 billion in the governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Qena and Aswan.
Around 4,150 industrial facilities were established, replaced and renovated on waterways, at a cost of about LE5 billion.
Work has been undertaken to construct and replace covered drainage networks, and expanding and deepening open drains.
Flood prevention projects
The Ministry of Irrigation undertook 338 installations to reduce the dangers of flooding.
Some 892 wells were dug, replaced and renewed to provide water for 1 million people in the governorates of Upper Egypt. Also, 240 wells were equipped for power by solar energy and electricity.
The ministry also carried out the construction, replacement, upgrading and rehabilitation of 252 pumping stations, costing LE3.15 billion.
An example of these stations is the new Al-Marashda station in Qena Governorate, which cost LE150 million to irrigate 63,000 feddans (acres).
Work was also carried out in the General Authority for the High Dam and Aswan Reservoir, costing LE913 million.
Development of major irrigation facilities
The new Assiut Barrage and its hydroelectric station on the Nile River were built at a cost of LE6 billion.
The cornerstone of the New Assiut Barrage project was laid in May 2012, about 400 metres behind the old Assiut Barrage. The new facility will improve irrigation in central Egypt, which represents one-fifth of the total area under cultivation.
The New Assiut Barrage is the largest earthquake-resistant water project, built on the Nile River after the High Dam, and was officially inaugurated by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in August 2018.
The giant project improves the irrigation of 1,650,000 acres and its four turbines generate 32 MW of electricity with annual savings of $15 million, if this capacity were produced from fossil fuels.
The new Dayrut Barrage will irrigate 1.60 million feddans in five governorates – Assiut, el-Minya, Beni Sueif, Fayoum and Giza.
The ministry modernised the eastern lock with the new Esna Barrage on the Nile.
African Cultural Centre
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has also established the African Cultural Centre in Aswan, which includes five spaces. Each space contains paintings, collectibles and documentaries of African countries.
Its documentary library contains archaeological and historical books that tell the history of the Nile. An open-air theatre was completed next to the centre.
Removing encroachments
As part of the extensive campaigns to remove encroachments on the Nile River, waterways and irrigation properties, more than 10,000 cases have been removed, with an area of about 1.20 million square metres.
These projects have achieved many gains for farmers and for the irrigation system, such as a significant improvement in the process of water management and distribution, resolution of water shortage problems at the ends of canals, besides providing farmers with access to the canal and their share of water in a timely manner.
The projects also helped improve the water quality in canals with the removal of weeds and preventing the dumping of waste in canals. The projects have also helped raise the market value of agricultural land within the area of the canal after the rehabilitation process.
Residents in Upper Egypt are reaping the fruits of seven years of development efforts in the southern governorates under the leadership of President Sisi.
In recent years, fourteen roads have been built to facilitate movement on both sides of the River Nile.
The government has completed a series of projects in electricity, health, housing, industry and transport.
Investments in Upper Egypt
According to Planning Ministry statistics, the government invested LE92.4 billion in Upper Egypt in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 with the aim of improving the quality of life for residents.
President Sisi’s plans to develop Upper Egyptian governorates were unveiled in 2014 as part of a national project to develop the southern portion of the country. For this purpose, the General Authority for Development of Upper Egypt, the national industrial zones project for South Egypt, and investment programmes in industry, livestock, tourism and agriculture were set up.
As per these plans, the southern region of Upper Egypt is to receive 55.2 per cent of investment (LE51 billion), almost 30 per cent (LE22.1 billion) has been invested in the central region, and the northern part of Upper Egypt will receive 20.9 per cent (LE19.3 billion).
Some international organisations such as the World Bank (WB) have been involved in the development plan of Upper Egypt, where villages are in dire need of water and sewerage facilities, health centres, among other services.
Investment freezone in Aswan
An investment freezone of 187 feddans (acres) in Aswan was established by Republican Decree.
The zone, which consists of 160 businesses creating 15,000 jobs, is expected to achieve $1.1 billion of local added value and increase exports by $675 million annually.
Several projects in the new zone have been carried out by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority and the Tahya Misr (Long Live Egypt) Fund, which have allocated LE609 million and LE320 million respectively.
A further LE289 million has come out of the budget of the Planning and Administrative Reform Ministry to improve living standards in Aswan.
A recent report entitled Upper Egypt on the Comprehensive Development Map issued by the Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) covers all projects being carried out in Upper Egyptian governorates in various sectors as part of the country’s all-out seven-year development plan.
The projects target all vital sectors to improve living conditions for all Egyptians.
The report lists projects in infrastructure, health and tourism as well as schemes covered by the presidential rural development initiative ‘Decent Life’.
According to the IDSC report, several projects to increase meat production at cost of LE1.8 billion were carried out, in addition to others in higher education and health.
A number of new university hospitals were established in the south to improve the health of citizens. This comes in addition to a presidential initiative to wipe out serious diseases such as hepatitis C, the report said.
Gov’t bid to cut poverty in the south
Poverty in Upper Egyptian villages has been falling since 2014 thanks to President Sisi’s directives to expedite the implementation of projects by devising a comprehensive plan to upgrade Upper Egypt.
The government has been concentrating efforts to eradicate poverty in Upper Egypt as part of 2030 UN development goals.
NGOs have been joining forces and funded projects to improve living standards in Upper Egypt.
Poverty in Upper Egypt is the legacy of more than three decades of marginalisation that requires much hard work to eliminate, the report said, adding that recent years have seen an unprecedented surge in government and civil society contributions to this end.
Transport projects
Road and transport projects implemented by the government, notably in the south of the country, represent a “qualitative leap” that would accelerate development and open the door wider to investment.
President Sisi opened several road projects that cost a total LE18.2 billion ($1.155 billion) in Upper Egypt.
Minister of Transport Kamel el-Wazir said as many as 125 companies employing more than 80,000 engineers, technicians and workers have taken part in the implementation of these projects.
About LE1.7 trillion was allocated between June 2014 and June 2024 to various transport schemes, el-Wazir said, adding that LE474 billion had gone to roads and bridges, LE225 billion to the railways and LE837 billion to electric traction projects.
The minister said the National Road Project, launched in August 2014, includes the construction of 7,000 kilometres of roads – 2,600 kilometres in Upper Egypt – bringing the total nationwide to 30,000 kilometres – 12,600 kilometres in Upper Egypt.
The plan also covers the development of 10,000 kilometres of arterial roads (4,000 kilometres in Upper Egypt) costing a total LE295 billion, of which LE120 billion was allocated to road schemes in Upper Egypt.
Up to 53 health projects have been carried out in Mallawi City, el-Minya Governorate, which is included in the ‘Decent Life’ initiative.
Upper Egypt Week
President Sisi this week opened a number of infrastructure projects in the south, including a major complex for producing benzene at the Assiut Petroleum Refining Company, the expansion of a urea plant in Kima, Aswan, the Abu-Quras Water Plant, a hospital for treating liver diseases and three hospitals in Deir Mawas, Malawy and Samalout.
The president also inaugurated expansion work at several water plants in Qena, the Faculty and Hospital of Dentistry in the University of Assiut, the Children’s Specialised Hospital and Isis Hospital for Women and Childbirth in Luxor, and a psychiatric hospital in Sohag.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala el-Saeed said the government has increased public investment in Upper Egypt to LE92.4 billion during FY2021-2022, up from the LE47 billion in FY2020-2021.
Investments in Decent Life projects, including schools, roads and service centres, stand at LE180 billion.
Digitisation will also play a major role in the implementation of these projects, which have created 600,000 jobs in Upper Egypt so far.
Minister of Housing Assem el-Gazzar described Decent Life initiative as “the magical solution for problems of Upper Egypt” as it will serve 77 per cent of the nation’s population.
Phase 1 of Decent Life was officially launched in July 2021 as per the directives of President Sisi.
The project covers 4,658 villages nationwide, home to 58 per cent of the population, requiring a budget of LE700 billion ($44.6 billion).
El-Gazzar said that his ministry had invested LE86.5 billion, with 2,800 companies assisting the government in establishing new communities and creating 1.4 million jobs in Upper Egypt.