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Letter to Prime Minister How long will the erosion and corrosion of the Nile River continue in the island El Shoraneya?
Whose responsibility is the wasting of natural resources in Egypt? With each year that goes by the lands of the islands (20 in Sohag governorate) in the river Nile erode.
Who is responsibility is to stop the wasting of the Nile Islands, which are natural reserves and must be protected?
In one of the Islands in Sohag Governorate called El Shoraneya, the farmers attempt to stop the erosion using primitive ways in order to preserve natural resources. They use trees’ trunks and palms but the river waters penetrate the wooden barriers and take with it the most precious belonging of framers; the soil of the island, which is one of the richest soils and finest agricultural lands. Strangely, the farmers had filed several complaints to the Ministry of Irrigation. The latest was in 2008, to stop the erosion of the island and the continuous decline in agricultural land. The ministry reported "that after sampling and analysis it concluded that the region is stable and does not need protection, the situation will be followed up and the necessary steps shall be taken if erosion occurs".
Being untrue, the farmers filed an appeal against this decision and requested another inspection. The second inspection reported that there is a 200 meters area in the southern part of the island that needed to be protected; it was included in the 2008/2009 plan. The LCHR questions those conflicting inspection decisions, which reflect negligence of governmental agencies in carrying out its responsibility to protect our resources, agriculture and natural reserves. Although there are reports of inspections on the erosion of the island and the need to protect it, the ministry argues that the financial allocations are not sufficient to carry out the implementation and protect the soil of the island.
The LCHR asks what other priorities are more important than protecting our resources and natural reserves, which are the livelihoods of more than 100 thousand farmers living on those islands.
A number of farmers confirmed that their lands are decreasing year after year and yet the Ministry whose well aware of this fact continues to collect the same rent for the same surface area claiming that the return of the agricultural land exceeds largely the low rents, without taking into consideration that lands of the islands incurs a higher production cost since the farmers have to transport the materials used for agriculture besides the unfair competition for the local markets in the governorate Center since they have to pay transportation costs as well.
The LCHR demands the governor of Sohag, the minister of irrigation, the minister of environment and the officials in Egypt to take effective steps to protect our natural resources and our agriculture, to stop the erosion and the decline in islands through a national project to be financed by international institution instead of financing the government institution with technical support, and new machines to accentuate the added value of such project, especially that there an international awareness of the agriculture as the sole way towards a safe future to all nations. All national forces as well as NGOs should participate in preparing programmes, implementation and control on such projects in order to preserve our resources and wealth and to protect the farmers’ rights to a decent income and a safe live.
For more information, please contact the Land Center for Human Rights.