Dr. Rasha El Kholy, President of ECU, presented the PRIMA funded aquaponic wetlands facility at the Cairo Water Week 2024. Installed on ECU’s campus, the facility is aimed at the cultivation of crops together with the production of fish species.
Just a couple of weeks earlier, the aquaponic wetlands facility developed by ECU was unanimously identified by the partnership as Mara-Mediterra’s most notable achievement to date.
Watch our video clip which brings the presentation of Dr. Rasah El Kholy during the fifth progress meeting in Izmir, Turkey, which can also be downloaded as a document from this link.
In her presentation, Dr. Rasha El Kholy explains about the research conducted by the ECU team to maximize the revenue from the facility since its initial installation over one year ago. While the selection of high-revenue crops and fast-growing fish species were high on the agenda, also nature-based plant pest control and biosecurity measures were put in place to prevent diseases among the fish population. Furthermore, the facility was upgraded by putting in place automated controls and an IOT system which transmits the data collected by sensors over the internet. It is highly noteworthy that the payback period from the facility has been estimated at just over one and half years to three years depending on the type of crops and fish selected. The second part of the clip brings the facility into view which is currently in the fifth round of seedling and planting, the fourth round of safe control of plant pests and the third round of fish farming.
The Cairo Water Week, which ran through October 13 to 17, 2024 was joined by over 2500 experts, practitioners, and policymakers. The event is aimed at fostering the development of innovative solutions for water and climate challenges, particularly in the drylands of the Mediterranean Region.
Aside from her presentation on the aquaponic wetland facility in the technical session “Green Energy Transition for Enhanced Climate Resilience in MENA Agriculture”, convened by ICARDA, Dr. Rasha Elf Kholy also took part as a panellist in the session “Advancing Gender Equality in Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems (WEFE)”. Led by PRIMA Project Officer Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Wageih and Deputy Director Omar Amawi, the session underscored women’s essential roles in agriculture, water management, and energy, spotlighting challenges they face in accessing resources, technology, and leadership platforms. Other panellists included Dr. Noura Abdelwahab (IWMI), Dr. Samira Shaban (UfM), Mr. Helmy Abouleish (SEKEM), and Dr. Bishr Imam (UNESCO). The discussions delved into strategies for gender-responsive policies within WEFE sectors, showcasing the PRIMA funded Mara-Mediterra project as a model for empowering women and promoting gender equity across Egypt and the MENA region.
