Boshra Salem

A Socio-Ecological Investigation of Options to Manage Groundwater Degradation in the Western Desert, Egypt

Under increasing water scarcity, collective groundwater management is a global concern. This article presents an interdisciplinary analysis of this challenge drawing on a survey including 50 large and small farms and gardens in a village in an agricultural land reclamation area on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt. Findings revealed that smallholders rely on a practice of shallow groundwater use, through which drainage water from adjacent irrigation areas is effectively recycled within the surface aquifer. Expanding agroindustrial activities in the surrounding area are socio-economically important, but by mining non-renewable water in the surrounding area, they set in motion a degradation process with social and ecological consequences for all users in the multi-layered aquifer system. Based on the findings of our investigation, we identify opportunities for local authorities to more systematically connect available environmental information sources and common pool resource management precedents, to counterbalance the degradation threat.

Species conservation importance index (SCI) for comparing sites’ conservation value at landscape level

Quantitative approaches used for detecting biodiversity ‘hotspots’ depend mostly on species occurrence data. This approach has been criticized for not recognizing all aspects of species importance. In this study, we used information on plant species to estimate a species conservation importance (SCI) and compare sites’ conservation value (SCV) at the landscape level with regard to plant species. The SCI index assesses vascular plant significance based on inclusion of many criteria accounting to various aspects of species importance. The SCI index was calculated for the 405 plant species recorded in a northwestern coastal desert landscape, and two protected areas in Egypt. The Comparison revealed that despite having the highest number of species, the northwestern coastal desert landscape ranked third to the other protected areas based on SCV. For highlighting ‘hotspots’ of conservation priority regarding vascular plants in the northwestern coastal desert landscape, the Getis-Ord Gi* hotspot geostatistical analyses were applied to the per-plot number of species, maximum SCI, average SCI (ACI), and SCV values of 827 sampled plots. The results revealed the occurrence of significant hotspots for plant conservation at the south of the landscape. The application of Getis-Ord Gi* geostatistical analysis to conservation indices promises to be a useful tool in identification of hotspots at the landscape level. The approach used in the current study will help in comparing and ranking regions according plant species conservation priorities. It can also be used for guiding site selection efforts regarding plant species conservation particularly in similar ecosystems.

Biosphere reserves on North-Western Egyptian coast, a site for monitoring biodiversity and integrated water management

Abstract Biosphere Reserves (BRs) have an important role to play in the application of the ecosystem approach for the integrated management of land, water and biodiversity, using the World Network of Biosphere Reserves as pilot sites. Almost all terrestrial Biosphere Reserves in Arab Countries (14 in 6 countries) are drylands (fragile ecosystems) that could serve as reference sites for conducting research for evaluating the relationship between water and biodiversity. This paper presents a case study from El-Omayed Biosphere Reserves inEgypt that is now under stress due the introduction of fresh water through new irrigation canals with resultant environmental damage including habitat loss and fragmentation. This paper therefore has three objectives: (a) to present the main characteristics of Biosphere Reserves as possible indicators for water resource management, and sustainable development; (b) to use the Omayed Biosphere Reserve (OBR) as a case study of some of the problems encountered, emphasizing water related issues; and (c) to consider ways in which biosphere reserves and integrated ecological studies in general might be used more widely as part of improved environments, even in water-scarce parts of the world.

Assessing the Cost of Groundwater Degradation in the Urbanizing Desert Area of Wadi El Natrun

This chapter shows how economic models and analysis can be used to capture the cost of environmental degradation. A series of approaches to assessing the costs of environmental degradation are explored in the context of a fast-growing desert settlement on the edge of Egypt’s Western Desert. First, a modeling approach focusing on the local agro-industrial economy and the loss of productivity caused by degradation in groundwater availability and quality is considered. This is based on integrating available environmental and economic models of the area. A second modeling approach isolates replacement costs associated with loss of artesianism and the failure of wells as groundwater extraction increases. Third and finally, a holistic approach to the valuation of the degradation of the desert ecosystem and its natural services is outlined. The final discussion considers the perspective for further use of these methods by local decision-makers at the Wadi El Natrun City Council, and other local authorities in rapidly developing regions.