Greening the desert: what can be achieved using treated waste water. The Ismailia plantation, Egypt.

"Forest restoration in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia using treated wastewater to sustain smallholders' and farmers' livelihoods"

In dry areas of Northern Africa water is in short supply, the soil is scarcely productive and forests play a crucial role for sustaining the wellbeing and livelihoods of thousand people. Forests in drylands are an invaluable resource of fodder for livestock, fuel-wood (58% of all the energy consumption in Africa), non-wood and fiber products and biomass. They also provide a wide range of environmental services such as protection from soil erosion, particularly relevant for agricultural activities, and desertification control. 

Forest conservation in arid zones is functional to soil rehabilitation/restoration interventions, it increases carbon storage and contributes to the creation of employment opportunities in addition to providing recreational value. The restoration of the productive and protective functions of forests is therefore vital for the wellbeing of millions of people that depend from forests. To this end availability of water for irrigation is crucial and it is the limiting factor to the life and development of people livelihoods, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas of the globe.

In order to overcome water shortage, scientistists have developed safe, environmentally sound and cost-efficient ways to treat municipal waste water and to utilize it for irrigation. The re-use of waste water allows recycling of nutrients for productive purposes and leads to a reduced discharge of blackwater into rivers and sea, freeing other fresh water resources for more vital uses.

The Project Solution

Building upon those experiences, FAO has launched the GCP/RAB/013/ITA project, drawing on the technical expertise of Italian partner Universities and the critical financial support of the Italian Cooperation. The project intends to demonstrate the sustainability and economic viability of low-cost wastewater treatments to improve the livelihoods of the population in arid and semi-arid zones and to mitigate the effects of climate change, through the utilization of treated waste water for irrigation in forestry and agroforestry systems.   

The intended purposes of the website:

• Planting activities. A small tree will grow thanks to treated waste water.Provide a connecting platform for experts, field technicians, decision-makers, relevant stakeholders
• Disseminate specific knowledge, project lessons learnt, successful stories on the re-use of treated waste water in forestry and agroforestry systems
• Serve as a gateway for partners and donors interested in contributing to the continuation of the FAO project's activities and enlargement of its scope, according to the needs identified by the project Countries
• Present up-to-date information on current FAO meetings and events related to the project and its future development 

Read more on the results of the first year of project activities as they were presented and discussed at the international workshop on the "Wastewater reuse. From research to knowledge and technology transfer in the Mediterranean region", held in Potenza, Italy on April 29-30 2013.