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Background

Location

Water Use and Sustainability

Community-Based Water Demand Management

Abu Minqar Oasis, Farafra

Life in Abu Minqar, a newly reclaimed, remote oasis community in the Western Desert, depends on the finite groundwater resource of the Nubian Aquifer. Its population of graduate, beneficiary, and private investor immigrants from Egypt’s many ethnicities continues to grow – and with it, the strain on Abu Minqar’s water source.

Since April 2006, DDC researchers have conducted the first research on the 20-year old community and its water use in a two-year project for WaDImena, a regional initiative to promote sustainable water demand management funded by the Canadian IDRC (International Development Research Centre). Through a participatory approach which links local knowledge with outside expertise, the project team is developing a sustainable, community-based, plan to improve water demand management (WDM).

The multi-disciplinary project provides a foundation for future research and an interesting case study to learn from. We invite you to explore the links below for detailed descriptions about the many aspects of the project.

Project Background
Learn about the greater regional initiative of WaDImena and its role in Egypt and the project team, setting, and approach.

Project Location
A detailed description of Abu Minqar: its geography; history, demography and community set-up; infrastructure; and economy

Water Use and Sustainability
An outline of the irrigation and water management systems, their strengths and weaknesses, and an overall sustainability analysis for Abu Minqar

Project Activities
An explanation of the project team’s research and intervention activities and outputs

Project Outputs

Project Impact
What the project’s efforts mean for Abu Minqar’s present and how they impact its future

Bibliography
Information sources that have helped the project team in its research and writing about water management and Abu Minqar

Project Team
Meet the DDC staff working to develop sustainable water demand management in Abu Minqar