Land reclamation In spite of the fact that more water is available for irriga-
tion the extension of the area under cultivation hoped for did not materialize.
According to a UNDP publication (2002: 150) the cultivated area grew by
457,000 ha between 1970 and 1998, while according to CAPMAS (2000: 68)
743,000 ha were reclaimed during this period. This means that 286,000 ha of
the fertile old land must have been lost through salinization, waterlogging,
alkalinization or drifting sands, as well as through urban sprawl. The quality
of the soils in the newly reclaimed areas that were to be irrigated with the
help of Nile water is by no means as high as that of the fertile soils of the
alluvial plains in the Nile valley. This means that greater amounts of fertilizers
have to be used, which causes ecological hazards and moreover makes the
profitability of such great projects in the deserts doubtful