H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Dr. Hani Sweilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and Mr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, met with a delegation from the World Bank led by Mr. Rabih Karaky, Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food for Middle East and North Africa Region at the World Bank. The meeting reviewed the status of the Climate-Resilient Agri-Food Transformation Project (CRAFT), a project within the food pillar of the "NWFE" program, in the presence of Ms. Sherine ElSharkawy, Deputy Minister of Finance, and the Ministry's teamwork.
During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat highlighted that the CRAFT project aims to enhance climate resilience and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) techniques and practices among farmers within the project's operational scope. This will be achieved through the provision of improved irrigation services, encouragement of CSA practices, increased access to financing and technical support for aggregation and market access, and improved information access to support agricultural decision-making all over the state.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized that the geographic locations for the project sites were selected based on the needs and priorities of national strategic entities for irrigation system development, ensuring equitable distribution of developmental projects across the country. The project will focus on modern irrigation components in Delta governorates (centers and villages under the "Hayah Karima" initiative) and nationwide for the early warning system component. The project structure consists of two main components: the establishment of a climate-smart agricultural food system in the Delta and sustainable management of agricultural risks for resilience, along with several sub-components including increasing agricultural food system productivity, enhancing the integration of small farmers into value chains, developing an integrated agricultural information system, managing agricultural risks, and promoting innovation.
Dr. Hani Sweilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, underscored the importance of coordinated efforts among all relevant ministries and entities to establish a clear vision and precise technical studies when planning projects. He emphasized the need to consider the social dimension when implementing any project by ensuring citizen satisfaction before its commencement. The Ministry, for instance, engages with farmers to promote the shift to modern irrigation systems by demonstrating the financial benefits of modern irrigation or upgrading canals with a single-lift system, which is well received by many farmers.
Dr. Sweilam explained that the Ministry’s vision focuses on improving overall water use efficiency and maximizing returns per unit of water. He highlighted the importance of adopting modern irrigation systems using the latest global technologies, especially given the positive impacts of modern irrigation, such as increased crop productivity, improved quality, enhanced export potential, and better field irrigation efficiency. This is in line with expanding solar energy use for water lifting and coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture to develop a single-lift canal system and pressure pipes with a comprehensive modern irrigation network.
He further noted that several meetings have been held between the Ministry’s officials and World Bank representatives to discuss the implementation of integrated activities for modern irrigation and water management under the CRAFT project, while enhancing the role of water user associations. Agreements were reached with the Ministry of Agriculture and the World Bank to implement the project in the governorates of Menoufia, Sharqia, and Gharbia, focusing on several targets such as improving irrigation systems, using drip irrigation in agreed areas, supporting farmer capabilities, and reusing agricultural drainage water with consideration of environmental, social, and economic factors and sustainability criteria. Priorities were established for selecting project zones, including areas under the "Hayah Karima" initiative, areas served by rehabilitated canals, and areas facing challenges in efficient water delivery.
For his part, Mr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, emphasized the project's significance in enhancing crop productivity and adaptability to climate changes in the Nile Valley and Delta regions. It supports small farmers’ capabilities to adapt to the risks and impacts of climate change, benefiting around 30 million residents in these areas. The project is expected to improve adaptation capabilities in the Nile Valley and Delta, increase crop productivity by 10-15%, and raise income by 10-20%.
Minister Farouk added that the project will also aid in establishing early warning units and systems to enhance weather prediction and support services for farmers in weather forecasting, create an agricultural insurance system against climate change risks in vulnerable areas, and develop a database for agricultural information flow and analysis. It will also advance modern agricultural extension services, helping small farmers build resilience against climate change impacts through the use of advanced communication and digital information technologies.
The meeting reviewed the results and outputs of the project's technical qualification phase, including technical support for project qualification and feasibility studies. The World Bank provided expertise and consultants to work on the detailed technical design of the project and its main components, focusing on inclusive and sustainable rural development. Regarding advisory services and private sector involvement, international expertise was utilized to develop the optimal financial framework for agricultural development financing. Discussions were held with banks and private sector institutions involved in agricultural projects to explore ways to enhance private sector participation.
The developmental impact of the project was highlighted, including expanding improved irrigation services to approximately 20,000 acres of old lands, increasing the agricultural loan portfolio by about 20%, adopting climate-smart agricultural techniques on approximately 18,000 farms, and providing around 130,000 rural residents with more resilient livelihoods as a result.
The Climate-Resilient Agric-Food Transformation Project (CRAFT) is a key initiative within the food pillar of the "NWFE" program, launched by the Ministry in 2022 during the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh. It resulted from the integration of two projects: establishing early warning systems and adapting crop production in the Nile Valley and Delta. The World Bank is the main development partner in implementing this project, which supports the country's efforts in combating climate change.