Effect of Region Subdividing on Water and Salt Balance Evaluation in Eastern Nile Delta

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Water and Water Structures, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

2 rrigation Sector, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigations (MWRI),Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The main objectives of the study aim at optimal exploitation of the water resources
in Eastern Nile Delta region. Until now, the Ministry of Water Resources and
Irrigation (MWRI) is managing water resources and the irrigation system by itself
with high input of staff and high capital investment. The mission of MWRI is to
ensure that Egypt's water resources are developed, allocated, used and preserved in
a manner which is sustainable, equitable and efficient. The research work evaluated
the water balance, the salt balance, the water quality and the management plans in
the study area from August 2000 to July 2010, also, attempted a new water
management plan. In this paper, the water and salt balance first executed for the
Eastern Nile Delta region (ENDR). To evaluate the effect of subdividing process
on water and salt balance in the region, the Eastern Nile Delta region divided into
two parts according to the irrigation and drainage systems. The first one is Manzala
Irrigation and Drainage System (MIDS), the second is Ismailia Irrigation and
Drainage System(IIDS). Water and salt balances results showed better and stable
water management policies in IIDS with water supply followed evapotranspiration
(ET) demands, fairly stable narrow range water use efficiency and salt leaching
process. At the contrary, ENDR affected by MIDS, both water balances results
showed poor follow of ET demands by water supply, wider range of water use
efficiency and adding extra salt loads process in the salt balances boundaries. The
results showed that the smaller are the area, the more accurate are the water and salt
balance evaluations. Also, the results of all the water and salt balances didn’t
comply with MWRI mission.

Keywords