Development of Health Interventions for El-Faiyoum: A Holistic Agro-ecosystem Approach

University of Alexandria, Egypt

Project abstract:El-Faiyoum province in Egypt is an oasis–like ecosystem. Because of its peculiar topography and its extensive irrigation system consisting of more than 39,000 km of open waterways, its ecosystem is vulnerable to environmentally induced water-associated health and land productivity problems. These are enhanced by poor land and water management practices and environmental pollution. Based on the findings of our preliminary study, water-associated diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and others were found to represent a high priority health issue for El-Faiyoum community. We believe that the prevalence of poverty and poor health in this province reflects the absence and/or inadequacy of natural resources management (NRM) strategies for exploiting the province’s agricultural resources. Our research hypothesis is that the development of judicious NRM practices for the province’s ecosystem that are based on good understanding of the ecosystem structures and dynamics, could enhance human health and that of the ecosystem. The present project proposal is set to explore the validity of this hypothesis through the application of a holistic agro-ecosystem research approach. Using such approach, the researchers, in collaboration with the local community (men and women), will attempt to develop and test a number of NRM strategies and health interventions that can be translated into policies for restoring the ecosystem health, sustain land productivity, and enhance human health and well-being.

View photos from the Egypt workshop below.

Assessment of the impact of the use of wastewater in agriculture on the ecosystem and human health in the community of Mzamza Settat, Morocco

Institut national de la recherche agronomique [national agronomic research institute], Morocco

Project Abstract:The “Assessment of the impact of the use of wastewater in agriculture on the ecosystem and human health in the community of Mzamza” project, submitted for approval to IDRC, will offer the opportunity to conduct a detailed study of the impact of using wastewater in agriculture on the ecosystem and on human health. The overall objective is to improve living conditions and the health of the community’s inhabitants. This project is justified by the fact that wastewater is definitely harmful, and that the community’s population, the focus of the study, uses wastewater from the city of Settat to irrigate fields, risking deterioration in the quality of groundwater, soil, and their own health. To meet this objective, the research team chose the trans-disciplinary ecosystem approach to human health, including participation by the community and full allowance for the uniqueness of this work. Research activities focus on characterizing the region’s ecosystem, identifying the various pollutants, determining the degree of contamination of ecosystem components (water, soil, vegetation and animals), as well as the link between this deterioration and human health with regard to socioeconomic (farming activities) and medical aspects, assessing the incurred risk and developing monitoring techniques, and proposing alternatives for sustainable, effective and efficient management of the ecosystem’s resources.

Ecohealth presentation at the Global Development Network 2003-03-27
Dr. Fawzy Kiskh of the University of Alexandria, Egypt and Dr. Jean Lebel, Team Leader for Ecohealth attended the Fourth Annual Conference of the GDN (Cairo 2003).