Solar powered solutions to Egypt's energy crises

Egypt's fuel and energy problems are increasing at an alarming rate, but the solution may lie in one the country's most abundant resources - the sun. 

With electricity blackouts and fuel shortages becoming all to common, a group of young Egyptians believe the answer is to go green.

Ice Cairo have drawn on the 40 years worth of experience of solar power expert Adel Hanna to develop a low cost solar powered water heater that brings hot water into your home with no electricity - and crucially, no electrical bills.

What's more, they want to spread this knowledge. On what they call 'Solar Hackathons', they teach others how to construct the water heaters - created using local materials at an affordable cost. 

At this Hackathon, the Ice Cairo team went to the 'Deep South' camp in Marsa Allam to give a workshop. They hope that having a functioning working model there will encourage other camps and hotels - as well as local bedouins - to make the switch to solar power. 

Egypt's Farmers suffer from water theft

Farmers in Fayoum - 130 km south west of Cairo - are no longer able to grow crops on the land they've been farming for generations.

Years ago businessmen built illegal encroachments on their source of water, leaving their land barren. With 10,000 feddans of previously fertile land affected by this situation, the farmers have become desperate. Despite having met a series of irrigation ministers and despite promises from President Mohamed Morsi, no one has removed the illegal encroachments and returned the water to the farmers. The land continues to lie barren.

Full story here: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/56401.aspx

Activists take environmental campaign to Egypt's streets

Environmental activists take to the streets of Egypt in a campaign called 'Bezoor Balady', or 'local seeds'. 

Greenpeace, Nawaya, Nabta, 350.org and Fakhri Aid were among the organisations taking part in the action. The campaign hit the streets in three areas in Cairo - Maadi, Heliopolis and Downtown - as well as in Alexandria, to raise awareness about Egypt's plethora of agricultural issues.

The activists were armed with specially created 'seed balls' - small balls that contain soil, silt and local seeds, everything a seed needs to grow; just add water. The idea is to begin a discussion about the possibility of using public spaces to grow healthy and much needed fruits and vegetables, as well as to start a dialogue about agriculture in Egypt - the world's number one importer of wheat.

For more information visit Bozoor Balady's facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/bozoorbalady