Managing Scarce Water Resources in Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 444

sodic drainage and groundwater resources is also expected to increase and warrants
attention in order to cope with the inevitable increases in salinity and sodicity that
will occur (as described in chapter 21).
Agricultural drainage water is becoming an appealing option to many coun-
tries not only to protect natural resources from deterioration, but also to make a
new water resource available for agriculture. In the last two decades, the reuse of
drainage water in agriculture and its impacts on the environment have become the
focus of research scientists in many parts of the world, particularly in dry areas.
In Egypt, reuse of drainage water increased from 2.6 billion m 3 per year in the
1980s to about 4.2 billion m 3 per year in the early 1990s. Now two new projects
will bring the total reused drainage water to approximately 7.2 billion m 3 per year,
some 12 percent of total water resources available to Egypt. Treating these drain-
age waters as a “ resource ” rather than as a “ waste ” contributes to the alleviation
of water scarcity, environment protection, and sustainability of agricultural pro-
duction systems. The following aspects have become high priority in West Asia
and North Africa:
1. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of marginal-quality water resources
and extent of its use in agriculture
2. Short- and long-term implications of using marginal-quality waters for
crop production systems in an unregulated manner; crop quality, health and
environmental implications (land and water degradation)
3. Evaluation of productivity constraints under existing scenarios of marginal-
quality water use
4. Identification and promotion of the community-based and farmer-led devel-
opment of low-cost and environmentally feasible crop, irrigation, and soil
management strategies of using marginal-quality waters
5. Promotion of social, financial, and environmental benefits for using mar-
ginal-quality waters and salt-affected soils for crop production systems
6. Policy and institutional aspects of using marginal-quality waters in agricul-
ture; analysis of the present scenarios to overcome policy and institutional
constraints
7. Capacity-building options for the national agricultural and extension sys-
tems and awareness among the farmers for greater understanding of the
potentials of plants, soil, and water for agricultural produce from marginal-
quality waters
r egional W ater t ransfer
Transboundary water transfers between basins and across national borders have
been extensively discussed in the region over the last two decades (Kally 1994).
Importation of water is under active considerations in the Middle East. The two
options most relevant are to involve transportation by pipeline (Turkey's proposed
peace pipeline) and by ship or barrage (big tanks or “ Medusa ” bags). Both sugges-
tions are subjected to economical, political, and environmental measures, which are
yet to be examined. In the WANA region, attempts on transferring water by balloons