Seeking sustainability in rural Egypt: Linking scientific and indigenous knowledge

On Egypt's dry north-west coast, everything depends on rain. For 300,000 indigenous Bedouin, whose ancestors have lived in the area since the 17th century, rainfall levels dictate how much barley to plant, where the sheep and goats will graze even the timing of weddings, which occur more often in good rainfall years. The area's water resources are not only scarce, but also extremely variable.

In response, the Bedouin have developed an intricate web of strategies for managing their water resources. For example, they have traditionally moved around for water, pastures and crop land, based on local precipitation patterns. But with increasing pressure on natural resources as a result of the adoption of more sedentary lifestyles, population growth, climate change, geopolitical and other forces, there is a growing need for sustainable rural development policies for the area. The main question — which also applies to other semi-arid areas in North Africa and the Middle East — is how to improve agricultural production and the well-being of local inhabitants without degrading the fragile environment?

Dynamics of Bedouin resource management

To provide answers, a project funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Wadi Naghamish, located 270 kilometres west of Alexandria, studied a representative wadi system (a wadi is an ephemeral river, created when torrential rains occur) to understand better the current dynamics of Bedouin resource management. The project involved a multidisciplinary team with expertise in soil science, hydrology, socioeconomics and remote sensing. The result? A comprehensive computerized, information database that provides the basis for a much-needed evaluation of resource management options and the environmental consequences of those options.

"What we all tried to get across was the need to look holistically to understand the dynamics of the [wadi] system, because any effective planning is going to be based on an understanding of that system," says John FitzSimons, of the University of Guelph's School of Rural Planning and Development. Dr. FitzSimons and scientists from the University of British Columbia and the University of Alexandria in Egypt began by examining how the system works as a whole. They collected data from 1993 to 1996, synthesizing biophysical information — on rainfall, water collection, soil types, degradation, and natural vegetation, for example — with socioeconomic data focussing on people's use of natural resources. The team wove Western scientific data with the Bedouins' indigenous knowledge, such as how they view the environment and how they make decisions about cereal planting or the movement of cattle.

The Bedouin also provided information for detailed maps. With the help of GIS (geographic information systems) and other modelling tools, the research team constructed a computer-based system that integrates maps with biophysical and socioeconomic models. The resulting database of the Wadi Naghamish is capable of producing detailed maps, predicting whether agricultural practices are sustainable, suggesting ways to improve production, and even evaluating the effect that certain changes, such as planting alternative crops, may have on the system as a whole.

Foundation for future research

In addition to its unique methodology, the project is a milestone by providing a foundation for future research. "Now we understand how the system works, so we can ask, 'Can we manage it more effectively?'" says Dr. FitzSimons. "And that raises issues and questions about the implications for sustainable development."

Kirsteen MacLeod is a Toronto-based writer and editor.

Understanding Bedouin Production Decisions Through Participatory Research

Resource Persons:

Dr. Fawzi H. Abdel-Kader, Professor of Soil Science, Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Faculty of Agriculture - El Shatby, University of Alexandria, Phone/Fax 20 3 5961172

Dr. Hans Schreier, Resource Management Science, University of British Columbia, #436E-2206 East Mall, Vancouver B.C., Canada V6T 1Z3; Phone 604-822-4401; Fax 604-822-9250; e-mail: star@unixq.ubc.ca

Dr. John FitzSimons, School of Rural Planning and Development, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1; Phone 519-824-4120 x6786; Fax 519-767-1692; e-mail: fitzsimo@rpd.uoguelph.ca

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Links to explore ...

Related IDRC articles and publications:

"Map Maker" Simplifies Cartography in the Field, by Curt Labond

The Naturalized Knowledge Systems of Indigenous Communities, by Salli M.K. Benedict

GIS for health and the environment: Proceedings of an international workshop held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 5-10 September 1994

Lore: Capturing traditional environmental knowledge

Traditional ecological knowledge: Concepts and cases

Water Management in Africa and the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities

Additional resources:

Egypt: Matruh Resource Management Project

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Updated March 21, 1997. Please send your comments to editor of Reports.