How Egypt is turning the desert into a green oasis: NASA satellite footage

It aims to turn some 9,200 square kilometres in the barren desert west of the Nile Delta into fertile farmland. NASA's Landsat 8 and 9 satellites recently showed how these initiatives are gradually changing the landscape, creating more and more green areas.

The images, taken in November 2018 and November 2024, clearly show how new fields and woodlands are appearing in parts of Alexandria and Bouheira governorates. Of particular note is the canal stretching northeast from the upper left corner of the satellite images. With a system of pumping stations, it allows the transport of wastewater from the lake storage area in Alexandria to the new wastewater treatment plant in the south.

Completed in 2023, the plant is capable of treating up to 7.5 million cubic metres of wastewater per day. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this makes it the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world. After passing through all stages of filtration and disinfection, the resulting water is used to irrigate new forest areas and cultivate land within the New Delta project.

But "greening" carries not only ecological but also economic potential. The planted forests grow valuable tree species such as eucalyptus and acacia, among others. These trees are used in construction and industrial production, providing local people with new opportunities for income and economic development in the region.

Thus, the New Delta project is just one part of a grand programme to increase Egypt's agricultural area and improve the environmental situation. The fact that the changes are visible to the naked eye from satellite imagery speaks volumes about the scale of the transformation taking place.