The ambitious Toshka Project aims to prove that the desert can be settled and become the new breadbasket for the country. Egypt still imports half of its wheat. It's hoped that cultivating the desert will make Egypt less dependent on imported grain, which is becoming increasingly expensive. But critics of the plan say it's too expensive and a potential ecological disaster. GLOBAL 3000 visited the desert to take a look at the mega-project.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahmed Atta has found a job - right in the middle of the desert. It's on a newly created farm in Toshka, more than 200 kilometers from Ahmed's home in Aswan. A system of canals known as the New Valley Project has made it possible. 26-year-old Ahmed would never have dreamed of growing grapes here. But thanks to drip-irrigation techniques, it's now possible to profitably grow fruit in the desert. It's a bonanza for the workers on this government-owned farm. Tending and harvesting the grapes earns Ahmed the equivilent of 70 euros a month - almost double what he used to earn as a nomad. "I used to work with camels, but it didn't amount to much. I can live much better from my work in Toshka."

The water for the Toshka project comes from the Nile, which has accumulated in Lake Nasser up-river from the Aswan Dam. On the shores of the lake the Egyptian government has installed one of the biggest pumping stations in the world. The water is pumped 54 meters uphill and then routed to a canal. This canal system already extends 90 kilometers into the Sahara. Large areas of desert land are already blooming, says the official in charge of the project. In his view, Egypt has no choice but to divert the water from the Nile. Salah Riad, Toshka Project Manager, "There's a gap between the increasing of people and the decreasing production. How can we decrease this gap? By going to the desert and cultivating it."

But making Toshka green requires vast amounts of water - and that's causing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia. Lake Tana in the Ethiopian highlands provides up to 80 percent of Nile water reaching Egypt. It's been the source of Egyptian civilization for thousands of years. But now the problem is that Ethiopia and other Nile countries want to utilize the water to provide for their own growing populations. The planned dam projects could reduce Toshka's - and all of Egypt's - water supply to dangerously low levels.

Mohamed Hassan Abdel Aal, an Agronomist of the Cairo University, says: "The war over water in this case could be something shich frightens us. This could happen. We need to prevent any situation which would bring this conflict into reality." But the government in Cairo has been playing down the danger of a water war. Egypt says there is a new spirit of cooperation on the Nile. All 10 Nile States have joined together in an initiative. And a comprehensive new treaty may be in sight.

Hussein El Atfy, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, means: "I believe 10 years in the lifetime is not a big issue. There are several rivers where these agreements of this framework took 25 years to come. So, as I told you, it's a very historic moment that we are working together." Egypt is continuing to push the Toshka project. At the moment the 50 meter wide canal is mainly lined by arid land. But plans for the coming decade forsee settlements - even entire towns here. Toshka is designed to show that Egypt can create living space and a bread basket out of barren desert. Another prestigious project is the government-owned South Valley Farm.

Wheat is growing on these fields. At the moment, Egypt must import half of its wheat. The desert farms could make the country more self-sufficient in a time of exploding food prices. The same goes for corn. As long as there is water, this southern desert may even have an edge over the Nile Delta in the north, with its one harvest a year. Mohamed El Afifi, Agro Engineer of the South Valley Project says: "I am proud to say that thanks to the weather and the high temperatures we can harvest corn twice a year in Toshka - like on this field."

But farming in the desert has disadvantages. The soil here is far less fertile than in the Nile Valley. It is clayey, which means water takes a long time to drain. That makes it difficult to control the drip irrigation - and can lead to waterlogging and increased salt content in the soil. In addition, much of the precious water evaporates from the canals - after all, temperatures here are often over 50 degrees. Tough conditions for the workers on the canal. Now they are excavating a giant tunnel. Two new canal arms are due to follow, along with new farms.

The Toshka project is here to stay. Even its critics have accepted that. Billions of euros have been invested - there's no turning back. But will millions of Egypians leave the green Nile valley and move to the desert? The homes for the workers' families are standing, but Toshka City looks set to remain a ghost town for years to come.

Ahmed spends his free time with his fellow-workers in the communal house they share on the farm. They talk and watch television in their breaks. Ahmed's fiancée lives back in his home town. He hopes one day they will be able to marry and have children and a small house of their own - here in the desert.