The IFPRI-Egypt Seminar Series is part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project called “Evaluating Impact and Building Capacity” (EIBC) that is implemented by IFPRI. The seminar supports USAID’s Agribusiness for Rural Development and Increasing Incomes (ARDII) project’s objectives.

1. BUILDING RESILIENT FOOD
SECURITY SYSTEMS TO BENEFIT
THE SOUTHERN EGYPT REGION

2. BUILDING RESILIENT FOOD SECURITY SYSTEMS TO BENEFIT THE
SOUTHERN EGYPT REGION

3. Background
Southern Egypt
 Highest Climate vulnerability rates
 Highest temperature rise and
current extreme weather events
 Highest evapo-transpiration
 Highest losses in crop productivity
 Highest rates of disease and pest
infestations
 Highest livestock productivity
affected
 Highest Food insecurity
rates
Southern Egypt stands to lose a
minimum of 30 % of its food
production by 2050 -
compounding the already
economically stressed and food
–insecure state of the region.

4. Background…cont’
 In response, GOE proposed a project to build climate resilience of Southern Egypt.
 Project is funded by the AF. WFP is the implementing entity and MALR is the
executing entity.
 Project Objectives:
1) improve the adaptive capacity of the Southern region of the country in
the face of anticipated climate-induced reduction in food production through
a set of integrated intevensions and
2) build institutional capacity at national, regional and local levels to enable
sustainability and replication of the project inteventions
4 years 135,757 direct + 1.7 indirect beneficiaries

5. Selection of Locations
Aswan, Luxor , Qena, Sohag & Assuit
 Agro-Climatology parameters
analyzed
Each of the 5 governorates is a
distinct climatic area
Implement in All five
governorates
 Climate data available at
governorate level
 Socio-economic vulnerability used
for selection of districts (food
security) then villages (poverty)
 Consultations with stakeholders
(security, social tensions,
acceptance, Presence of local NGOs
)
SELECTION OF VILLAGES (40)

6. Project Interventions
 Component 1:
 Community level mobilization and climate
adaptation planning including baseline
assessment- done in preparation of project
document
 techniques: awareness sessions, contests, theatre
 Establishment Climate information centers in
NGOs
 Early Warning System 5 days &
recommendations. Dissemination of information

7. Project Interventions…………continued
Building resilience in agricultural
production
Introduction of heat tolerant varieties of
common crops - 10 varieties of wheat, 3 of
sorghum, and 3 tomato
Introduction of chilling tolerate sugar cane
variety
Promotion of high income crops - grow better
in warmer climates, bring in additional income
while conserving water medical aromatic
plants Black seed and fennel,
changing sowing dates.
New agricultural techniques to increase crop
heat tolerance and productivity under heat

8. Project Interventions…………continued
Building resilience in agricultural production
Intercropping to diversify and increase income ( sorghum &
cowpea fava beans & cane; maize and tomato; garlic and wheat)
as a means of increasing resilience. 60% increase in income &
resources efficiency
Value addition to diversify and augment income sources, such
as improved post harvest practices and small scale food
processing (sun dried tomato + pomegranate deseeding)

9. Project
Interventions…………continued
 Building resilience through
livestock and poultry production.
 Establishment of community-level revolving loans
schemes in local NGOs. (goats; honey bees; ducks;
and rabbits
 Vet services enhanced
 Training and ongoing technical assistance on
animal nutrition will be given by trained
governmental and community organizations.
 Target women for gender balance

10. Introduction and use of water saving
irrigation and other adaptation
techniques
 realizing irrigation efficiency through laser leveling of soil; canal
lining;
 Demonstration fields set up
 Establishment/strengthening water users associations -40
established – for sustainability in local NGO
How its done

11.  Local Ownership
 Water users
associations under
local NGO
 Increased efficiency-
25-30%
 Owners participate
 Much lower costs
Canal lining Benefits

12. Component 2: Capacity building for climate
knowledge and replication of interventions under
component 1
 lessons learned retained and disseminated to all actors to replicate
them in the government’s first phase of support to 151 villages
covering some 1.7 million people
 Building capacity of government technical staff:
 extension officers- soft skills + technical capacity building
 replication of early warning systems and other project interventions in directorates
 Presentations to senior governmental offices at central level
 Documentation & sharing of Lessons learned and Best Practices
 Flyers, Brochures, documentary, (sample +pictures) 1-hour orientation package
for ministers and 2-days training package for technical ministerial staff, organized
visits. TV, radio and newspapers outreach &Harvest Days (explain) for replication
 Integration of solutions into University & Secondary Schools
curriculum
 Training of students: field days, case studies, summer training, on campus
demonstration fields
 Use of lessons learned in enriching teaching modules

13. Lessons Learned
 Engegement of diverse stakeholders in
resilience building in project design, activity
planning, implementation, follow-up was very
successful in building ownership for
sustainability.
 Capacity building of stakeholders in parallel
was effective in having each play its role.
although this approach is slower, its more
sustainable

14. Lessons Learned
 Farmers make use of technology more than
expected (facebook, smart phone application was
very success full)
 Word of mouth +use of local resources (mosque
+church) was very effective in spreading
messages from the project (eg. early warning
messages)
 Use of innovative methods (theater, traditional
singers, to raise awareness on adaptation was
highly successful)
 Income generated from animal projects allowed
women to establish their own businesses, building
household financial resilience