The soil degradation currently taking place is another special form of
desertification. Precious agricultural land is being lost through processes of
salinization and by drifting sand sheets. The losses are occurring in the Nile
delta and the Nile valley, in the oases and on newly reclaimed land as well
as on old agricultural land. Since the construction of the Aswan High Dam
the soil degradation caused by these processes has increased enormously (see
Chapter 6). Equally regrettable is the immense loss of fertile agricultural land
through urban sprawl, which has taken place during the past decades in the
Nile valley and Nile delta. According to some experts this is also to be con-
sidered as a type of desertification. It is estimated that more than 8,000 ha of
the best land in the country fall prey to urban encroachment annually. The
government has been fighting this problem for decades through restrictive
laws and its new town planning strategies (see Chapter 11).