In Egypt, irrigation is applied on 99.8% of cropland and thus a crucial resource for domestic agricultural production. The major part (95%) of all Egypt’s irrigated agricultural lands receives water from the Nile River. The total area equipped for irrigation is approximately 4 million hectares; 85% of this area is in the Nile Valley and Delta. All drainage water in Upper Egypt, south of Cairo, flows directly back into the Nile and irrigation canals. The drainage system there consists of open drains that are run by gravity. In the Delta Region, pumps are used along the course of the drains to lift water at terminal points. Approximately 5 out of 14 km3/yr of the total agricultural drainage water are reused for irrigation. However, the quality of drainage water is adversely affected by uncontrolled non-point sources of sewage and waste disposal into drains.

The objective of the study was to assess current water reuse guidelines for irrigated agriculture in Egypt and their impact in terms of enforcement by:

• Reviewing the existing reuse guidelines, enforcement practises and programme strategies of the existing legal framework (guidelines and directives);
• Assessing the underlying causes of domestic pollution of drainage canals together with groups potentially most at risk from wastewater reuse in agriculture.