Cost-centric innovations to address Water-Agriculture nexus challenges in Egypt: Research Status Analysis

¹ International Water Management Institute (IWMI), MENA Office, Giza 12661, Egypt
² Department of Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, United States of America
³ Vegetable Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
⁴ International Water Research Institute, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Ben Guerir, Morocco
⁵ Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès, Meknès, Morocco
⁶ Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
⁷ Laboratoire de Géologie Appliquée et Géo-Environnement, FSA UIZ, Agadir, Morocco
⁸ Lab. Natural Resources & Sustainable Development, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail, University, Kenitra, Morocco
⁹ Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of sciences and Techniques, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco

Abstract

High costs associated with technology adoption can be a barrier against the improvement of water use in agriculture. Therefore, interventions must be not only technically feasible but also financially affordable and accessible to farmers. To understand the current situation of research in lowcost (and cost-effective) water solutions for effective management of agricultural water challenges in Egypt. A total of 19 peer-reviewed papers were obtained from systematic research on various databases, the employed keywords are: “Egypt” AND “irrigation” AND “low cost” OR “low-cost” OR “cost-effective” OR “cost-effective”. Based on the analysis of the selected studies, many low-cost technologies and techniques are applied in the Egyptian Delta on-farm levels, such as using low-cost soil moisture sensors attached to a smart monitoring unit operated by Solar Photo Voltaic Cells (SPVC), wireless sensor network in cultivating the potato crop, flexible on-field irrigation, cut-off irrigation, and Pressurized Irrigation Systems. The proposed solutions can help improve water use efficiency, increase crop yields, reduce the cost of irrigation, improve the quality of irrigation water, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The economic analyses and feasibility studies presented in these papers provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in making informed decisions about water use and agricultural practices.