Green Solutions for Salt-Affected Lands

FACING RISING SALINITY LEVELS

Along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, rising sea levels and excessive groundwater extraction have rendered soil and water increasingly saline, threatening both agriculture and drinking supplies. In Samla village, a community of 15,000 residents located 7 km from Marsa Matrouh city, this creeping salinity has undermined olive groves, impaired sheep grazing, and compromised the health and well‑being of local families.

INTEGRATED, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR DESALINATION

With funding from Al Ahly Sabbour and in partnership with Schneider Electric, Gebal designed and built an integrated green desalination and protected‑agriculture system to restore Samla’s water security and secure a safe and reliable water source for the entire community. Gebal drilled 3 wells to supply water for a community-operated greenhouse and a local drinking water station. A desalination unit with a capacity of 60 m³/day reduces the water salinity from 15,000 ppm (parts per million) to 108 ppm, making the water fit for drinking and farming. The drinking water station is equipped with an additional purification system turning desalinated water into safe and palatable drinking water, serving approximately 3,000 Samla families, representing up to 20,000 community members, including women and children.

To ensure a sustainable, low‑carbon operation, Gebal installed a 92 kW photovoltaic array to power both the desalination unit and the drinking‐water station. The 360 m² climate-controlled greenhouse is dedicated to year-round vegetable production to serve the community’s food security and nutritional needs. The greenhouse’s evaporative cooling system enables stable indoor growing conditions year-round. This ensures high productivity, even during Egypt’s hot summer months.

IMPACT TOWARDS THE SDGs