Background:

Dr. Farūq al-Baz (brother of Usāma al-Bāz, political advisor to President Mubārak) is  the Director of the Center for Remote Sensing and Professor at the Department of Archaeology and Electrical & Computer Engineering. He is also an Associated Faculty member at the Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, U.S.A. In 1997, the Center for Remote Sensing was selected by NASA as a “Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing.”

This press conference concerns the achievements of Dr. Fārūq al-Baz in Remote Sensing. He described his discoveries in Egypt with the aid of Remote Sensing and explained  the goal of the Tushkā project.

Side A:

It is believed that from 5000-7000 years ago, there was a rainfall period in the western desert that formed the reserve for today. Dr. Fārūq al-Baz located this area and stated that it starts from the border between Egypt and Sudan and goes north 2 degrees. It starts between the border between Libya and the Nile valley as well. It was firstly recognized in November in 1982 by image radar. The imaging topography that was used by the satellite was able to penetrate through the sand and reveal this area. There was a vast majority of courses of ancient dry rivers that were formed by water that was coming from higher land in Sudan in the direction of Wadī al-Ḥawa. In February 1982, al-Baz convinced the Egyptian government to drain the wells after viewing Salīma Oasis in Sudan that also contained dry courses for the Nile.

Al-Baz stated that the government approval took a couple of years so that the government could examine the project. They even created an experiential farm to see whether plants can grow in this area. Several plants grew including wheat which was a remarkable breakthrough. The government finally approved that 150,000 acres would be developed by the private sector. A group of 15 Egyptians got together and created a company to do the feasibility study for this project with the aid of the World Bank.

Al-Baz assumed that the water in this area would be enough for planting on 180,000 acres for a 100 years to come. However, more water would be reserved by the fall of occasional rains from time to time. Another point that should be put into consideration is that Lake Nāsīr lost 2.5 billion cubic meter water which might be stored underground.

Al-Baz believed that there were no ecological dangers on pumping water out of the reservoirs to be used in the desert due to a couple of reasons. There were occasional rainfalls from time to time and it was believed that there was an alteration between the dry and wet periods in Egypt, although, this would not affect the people of Aswan because water is being pumped from the surface.

Furthermore, al-Baz was asked if he thinks that there was life in this area before. He said that they found some evidence of axes and grinding stones in the western desert. There were also water springs in Jībalʿuaynat that are found in the Libyan-Egyptian-Sudanese borders. He was asked for his vision of Egypt in the future and he said that Egypt would never get rid of the traffic burden unless there was another way of moving in Egypt. He foresaw a highway west of the Nile valley that runs from north to south parallel to the Nile and connected to it as well. The highway would have eight lanes rather than two. It would include a railway, electricity line and a pump of water. He thought that the private sector was the only one who could  achieve this vision.

The availability of oil in Egypt in the south was questioned. Al-Baz stated that oil can be detected in this region by satellite through observing the water concentrations and the presence of bends and folds into the ground. This observation required a foreign investment as it would cost 10-30 million dollars and Canada had already pitched the idea. On the other hand, shale oil did not exist in large quantities in Egypt, it only exists in Sinai. Al-Baz believed that Sinai could acquire a fertile land by redefining the course of the water that reaches this area. If this area was fertile, many job opportunities for young people would be shaped as well as another permanent source for food.

Al-Baz was asked several times on the Tushkā project during this press conference. He began talking about the history of the project that started in 1963 by a plan made for the reclamation of lands of the oases such as al-Dākhlah Oasis, al-Farāfra and Baḥariyya. The plan was modified in 1974 following a military survey. In Sadat’s era, the Nile River’s water level increased exponentially and there was an idea to build a canal; it was called “Tushkā spillway.” The idea was rejected by al-Baz as he wanted to build a pipeline instead but he was informed by the government that it would be too expensive. Therefore, it was agreed to use the water that rises above 168 meters for agriculture in the Tushkā project.

Side B:

Al-Baz explained that the idea of the canal was rejected because water will be wasted through evaporation and seepage. At the end, the Tushkā project was, nevertheless, created through digging a 76 km canal in the north-western part of Tushkā. Additionally, there was another canal of about 100 km that would develop the southern part of Lake Nāsīr. This project would encourage the residents of Aswan to work and participate in the project creating job opportunities for them. However, if the water level in Lake Nāsīr would decrease, pumping from Lake Nāsīr would be ceased and water that is reserved under the Tushkā depression would be used.

Al-Baz believes that Egyptians need to have the commitment to learn about their land like the ancient Egyptians. Their attachment to the Nile Valley made their mind confined to a small vision. Knowledge and leadership were important characteristics for the Egyptians as to achieve a wider vision. Al-Baz also explained that Egypt had always been an agricultural country. Therefore, Egypt must return back to its roots in order to be self-sufficient and once people are satisfied, they would have the luxury to think and invent.

Al-Baz then expressed the reasons that are stopping the development of the Eastern Desert. There were no spots for agriculture in the Eastern Desert and thus it would cost a lot to transport food from the Nile valley. Thus, mining would also cost a lot in this area. He also expressed the possibility of saving the monuments that were found in the western desert.

According to Al-Baz, the Delta could not be used for pumping water due to its high level of salinity. The northern part of the Delta had a coarse land unlike the southern part of the Delta which made it impossible to expand the Delta further. Al-Baz then ended his conference with a question of what will happen if Egypt experienced drought. He answered that the Nile is the main artery of Egypt and that its resources have all evolved from the Nile River.