Trend of Change in Cultivated Area and Water Budget for Major Crops in Egypt using GIS and Field Survey Technique

Abstract

Agricultural survey, based on GIS scheme, using satellite images and topographic maps, field survey was carried out during 2008/2009 winter and 2009 summer seasons to determine the whole land cover of the Nile Delta and Valley. This was done using CLAC’s recent (2006) digital shape file data for different geographic layers (Roads, railways, irrigation channels, water bodies and cultivated areas), and SPOT 5 satellite images (2007). Data show that the cultivated area of wheat was about 2.9 million feddans (4200 m2) in 2008 depending on the ministry of agriculture and land reclamation (MALR) statistics, while the area of wheat in the same year according to GIS and field survey was about 2.5 million feddans. There was about 13% difference between the two concerned methods (GIS + field survey) and MALR’s conventional statistical method. However, the cultivated barley area in 2008 winter season was 148 thousand feddans according to GIS + field survey data, whilst the statistical data was 181 thousand feddans. The GIS + field survey data showed that the area of cotton were decreased sharply in the season of 2009 to 250 thousand feddans compared to 284 thousand feddans with the MALR’s statistical method. Water budget during winter survey for the whole crop pattern was increased from 11 billion cubic meters in 1980 to 24 billion cubic meters in 2013, while water budget during summer survey was increased from 20 billion cubic meters in 1980 to 25 billion cubic meters in 2012. The average water budget for the whole crop pattern in Nile Delta and Nile Valley was 49 billion cubic meters during 2012 /2013.