RISE and Supporting Regional Dryland Irrigated Agriculture

Andrew PetrovichResearch Associate

WLI 6th Annual Regional Coordination Meeting12 November, 2014

Amman

Research Institute for a Sustainable Environment (RISE)

• Established in 1979 by the American University in Cairo as the Desert Development Center (DDC)

• Became the Research Institute for a Sustainable Environment (RISE) in November, 2013.

Sustainable Water Management in the Oases of Egypt’s Western Desert • Partner: HSBC Bank• Project Duration: September, 2013 –

August, 2014• Sites:

• Abu Minqar• El Heiz

• Relevant Components: • Canal Lining• Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation• Aquaponic systems• Drainage Water Tree Farm• Training on all components

Canal Lining

• 3 major canals were lined

• Total of 3 km

Sprinkler Irrigation

•30 feddan of flood irrigated fields were converted to sprinkler irrigation in Abu Minqar

Drip Irrigation and Aquaponics

• Aquaponics shade house utilizing drip irrigation was installed in El Heiz.

• Aquaponics system utilizing drip irrigation was installed in Abu Minqar.

Drainage Lake Tree Farm• 5 feddan were

planted with high value trees utilizing drip irrigation in Abu Minqar• Trees faring

particularly well are olive and date palm.

Ramsis Project

• Aim: Utilize SMS technology to disseminate knowledge on wheat cultivation best practices• Partners: Mobinil, FAO and FAODA

(Fayoum Agro Organic Development Association• Project Duration: July, 2014 – April,

2015• Locations:

• Shubra Qubala, Monufeya, Delta• El Heiz, Bahareya, Western Desert• Abu Minqar, Farafra, Western Desert

• Participants: 100 farmers in each location

• Activities: • 20 messages sent to a maximum of 300

farmers from Nov. 2013 – Mar. 2015 by a call center operated by FAODA• Focus group workshops to be carried

out at the beginning and end – 4 workshops/location• Assessment questionnaire of wheat

cultivation practices at beginning and end of growing season

Living Learning Laboratory, “LLL”

• In our case at AUC, a Living Learning Lab is “a concept that encompasses a range of practical on-campus applications of research and experiments that provide students hands-on experience, benefit operations or facilities and enhance sustainability”.

Current LLL Projects

• Comparing the effects of reduction in amounts of irrigation water on zucchini in our greenhouses on campus

• Comparing the effects of domestic fresh water vs. water in an aquaponics system on crops on our rooftop garden

On to discussion, Thank You