Egypt - Buhiyyah Canal Irrigation Improvement Programme

The present intervention concerns the Buhiyyah Canal Irrigation Improvement. The rehabilitation and improvement of the irrigation system within the Buhiyyah canal command area, consisting of 187.6 km of Main & Secondary canals (and associated hydraulic structures) and 475 km of tertiary level canals serving a total area of about 47454 feddan (19.9 ha), is in line with the Irrigation Improvement Programme (IIP) of the Government of Egypt. Indeed, the irrigation system faces various problems and ranging from Physical & Operational to Environmental and Institutional ones. The project should alleviate these problems in the project area, thus contributing in a significant fashion in easing the water stress which is already experienced by Egypt. The project design has put significant emphasis on Training and Demonstration of best practices in On-farm water management and agronomic techniques, as a mean to help the country achieve high efficiency in irrigation water use and to increase agricultural production within the project area. The institutional support provided, including staff training as well as assistance to farmers’ Water User Associations, would help sustain the benefits of the project on a long term basis. The project comprises four components, namely: A) Improvements to Main and Secondary Canal Systems; B) Improvements to Tertiary Systems; C) On-Farm Water Management; and D) Institutional Support.