Commentary
In Egypt’s dense cities, the disappearance of foliage has health implications and punishes daily commuters.
Angie Omar
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Source: Getty
Commentary
An Ambition Built on Sand?
Egypt has long sought to expand habitation and agriculture into the desert, but the obstacles are great.
By Nathan Toronto
Published on Aug 17, 2020
Two of Egypt’s most daunting strategic challenges are population growth and the scarcity of arable land. Almost all of Egypt’s 100 million people call the Nile Valley home, and all of Egypt’s agricultural production occurs along the ribbon of the Nile and its Delta. Severe overcrowding, a massive housing deficit, loss of arable soil to incessant urbanization, dense vehicle traffic, and worsening air pollution are among the many consequences. With 95 percent of the country’s territory untouched, it is no surprise that for decades Egyptian leaders have sought to expand urban areas and agriculture into the desert.
Horizontal expansion is extremely costly, but every president since 1954 has pressed forward nonetheless, as a recent report by Carnegie’s Yezid Sayigh on Egypt’s military economy details. If the effort were to succeed, it could prove a boon for Egypt’s economic and human development. New farmland and cities could reduce the country’s reliance on importing much of its food and bring it closer to fulfilling the aspirations of various social sectors for upward mobility. But, as this video asks, is it a realizable dream worth the massive investment of scarce funds, or just a costly mirage?
About the Author
Nathan Toronto
Former Commissioning Editor, Program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Nathan Toronto was the commissioning editor for the Program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. His research and practitioner work focus on civil-military relations, battlefield effectiveness, military recruitment and education, and Middle East security, especially in the Gulf region.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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