Egypt plans to green its desert

Egypt is growing at two million people a year. Urban infrastructures can't cope. Now, lawmakers are opting to create arable lands and new cities.

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[NomenNescio]

When I visited Egypt last time, more or less every single faucet I saw was dripping and leaking water - something I thought was not the best practice in a country with a fresh water shortage.

[Amaling]

Egypt really does seem like the most make-or-break country in the world. Hope it works out

[victornderu]

The issue of armies being intertwined with states is a topic that deserves a whole documentary on its own.
Egypt, Pakistan, China and Uganda are just a few countries you could start with. Hoping to see more on THIS.

[robsonvidal]

If this happens, it's gonna be Egypt's greatest enterprise, even impressive than the pyramids. I really Hope It comes true, not only for Egypt good, but also as a great example to other nations.

[williamcook]

I've never heard "Terraforming" as an Earth-based concept; only, say Venus or Mars. It is, or could be, brillant in this day and age. Thank you, Shirvan.

[ramihafiane]

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a groupe of people in a society, they create for themselves a legal system that recognises it and a moral code that glorifies it". Spot on.
I live in a country with a similar system and this describes perfectely what I have seen and experienced, though it's hard to be aware of this fact when you actually live inside such an environement (even if you're not necessarely profitint from it)

[Newbmann]

Ambition without a plan might as well be a prayer.
How does caspian report come up with amazing lines every single video.

[growndown]

I'll smash the "X" key to doubt. Given Ethiopia's new dam, high corruption and the massive financial costs, I don't see this happening, but I wish them good luck!

[nicolasbertin]

There's usually two ways to "green" a desert. The first way, the right way, is to use only the existing precipitations, but to maximize it. It can be done with native trees and plants that will keep the water for longer, by draining it into the soil rather than letting it slide and flood around. It needs the help of terraces and other bassins to keep some water around, or by watering the plants for the first few years. They've done that in Saudi Arabia or Jordan, it works, you need around 100-200 mm of rain per year. The wrong way to do it is what Israel, California or Australia do for example : simply drill for an aquifer, very deep, and just grow whatever you want. It's stupid, wasteful, and a lie when they claim sustainability. Some people can do it with dessalination plants, or by damming rivers. It's just as wasteful and stupid, at least until we find a sustainable way to use dessalination plants, which is not in the foreseeable future. The way Egypt wants to do it obviously falls in the second category.

Also, Egypt is doing what most countries do. They assume they need more land, more water. They don't maximize what they have. They could use cover crops to increase organic matter content in their fields, as well as yield for their crops. They could grow efficient crops like quinoa, that can sustain drought and salty soil. They could collect water from their over-urbanized area, from the roofs, etc.. like India is starting to do. Greenhouses are rubbish. They rob plants of UV light, that they need for good health and good production. They also often mean hydroponics, which produce tasteless veggies, poor in nutrients. Diverting water from the Nile or damming it is absolutely the worst way to do it. Natural ecosystems are much better at retaining water than anything humans can do. In dry parts of America, they're restoring waterways by stopping grazing and letting beavers come back. They're greening Northern Nevada like that. Obviously Egypt has no beaver, but by observing and using nature, I'm convinced there's a way.

[YODAJJ]

All the mega projects undertaken in Egypt since 2016 were contracted to all the major private contractors in the country, not by the army. However the private contractors operate under the direct supervision of the army. Private companies are partaking in these mega projects and not ostracized from the developments. Just a nuance that you should note.

[rupertgarcia]

Shirvan, your channel has grown so much over the years and I'm proud to say that I've been here to witness your success!

[joseph.wolf.]

If you aren't already working on one, please make a video on the Russian invasion of Ukraine! I would love to hear your breakdown and analysis of the situation.

[Elrond_Hubbard_]

Diverting water from existing river flows is a losing game anyway, because you're fighting over a dwindling resource. The solution is obvious, I think. Egypt has two resources in absolute abundance, and those are sterile, sun-baked land which is absolutely ideal for large-scale solar arrays, and they have seawater from their coastline, which can, with enough energy, be desalinated. Now, they'd have to be desalinating on an epic scale to feed an entire irrigation system out in the countryside somewhere, and that would in turn require a monumental amount of electricity, which is what the huge solar arrays are for. Electricity can turn seawater into fresh water which makes the two equivalent by a certain ratio. With enough electricity they can solve all their water problems. They need to blanket a huge area of desert near the coastline with solar panels and wind turbines along the actual coast for wind, and with a nuke reactor on standby, they'd be set forever.

[araab]

Viva Egypt 🇪🇬 viva Sisi, viva the Egyptian army who always a burn in Israeli hearts.

[JD-rdpk]

You are such a profound poet.
"Ambition without plan might as well be a prayer"
"Turning sterile sand
into livable land"

[AhmadAbdallah]

I'm from Egypt, and may I say u got the situation here so right. The army has put itself as the only organization that can move things in this country, I got friends who work on big reclamation projects in the desert and the corruption is so big, but the big shot trademarks projects are done right for PR. Sadly though, this gov. unlike Hosni's is at least doing something, so it's better than nothing :') my expectations got so low that I see this gov. in this way.
Keep doing great videos.

[Screwthenewhandlesystem]

Been a fan since you were at a little over 600k subscribers. It’s great that you are now over one million and more people can see your great content. Best of luck.

[chavezchavo]

"... the Army is entrusted with nearly every macroeconomic project".
To say it's alarming is an understatement, but time will tell if they can pull off this gigantic project.

[yo_great]

As an Egyptian, you made me really scared for the future of my country 💔. I hope things work out in the end somehow...

[CanadianPrepper]

Great video, but I must say, the Nile river is stretched thinner than the US military. This terraforming will have a host of unintended consequences, the water has to come from somewhere just like the fertilizer and energy to grow the crops. Nothing sums up humanities desperation like Egypt which is ironically the cradle of civilization, the cradle to the grave