Executive Summary
This report evaluates the coherence of national policies related to food, land, and water (FLW) systems in Egypt to develop productive, responsive, and resilient agrifood systems. The OECD has defined "coherence" as a key policy evaluation criterion to capture the interconnectedness between two or more policy areas to maximize the benefits and mitigate negative interactions. Policy coherence comes in various shapes: vertical across sectors, horizontal across institutional levels, and normative across developmental impacts. Thus, this report studies the interactions between FLW systems in public policy to identify their synergies and trade-offs and to analyze the current institutional structure and the power dynamics influencing its governance. It offers actionable recommendations for enhancing cross-coordination mechanisms among various stakeholders, integrating policy processes across different policy arenas, understanding political economy determinants, and identifying expected investments to manage Egypt’s scarce water and land resources for improved economic and social prosperity.
Research Methodology
The study of policy coherence of FLW systems follows a five-step process (Figure 1) using the Policy and Institutional Landscape Analysis (PILA) framework created by Nicol, Schutter, and Bhattacharjee in 2024 (to be published). It begins by examining the historical context of FLW public policies to comprehend how various political and economic regimes have shaped the current objectives of Egypt’s agrifood national strategies. A review of literature related to policy development revealed five main rationales that shape current policy priorities: 1) population growth and increased food production, 2) balancing water demand with water supply, 3) aligning food and social justice with the government budget, 4) food trade balance, and 5) the effects of climate change on natural resource governance. Next, this research examines three main national strategies — the Sustainable Agriculture Development Strategy 2009–2030, the Water Resources Development and Management Strategy 2050, and the National Climate Change Strategy 2050. The study argues that these strategies share common objectives forming a holistic policy framework focused on “increasing climate-adaptive water productivity” (CAWP) in its biophysical, economic, and social dimensions to produce more food with less water and land, considering climate change factors. Policy coherence is then assessed by evaluating the policy linkages and institutional arrangements that support this holistic policy frame.
This research uses several tools to collect data on policy linkages and institutional arrangements. It created two databases. One focused on policies, laws, and programs related to improving climate-adaptive water productivity, and the other looked at institutions managing one or more components of CAWP. The research also incorporates semi-structured interviews and a consultative dialogue held during Cairo Water Week 2023. Additionally, it employs the analysis of power dynamics and social networks to examine public policymaking and implementation related to climate-adaptive water productivity