The water supply in the spring and summer seasons is closely linked to the preceding flood supply. The flood of 1917 was no exception to this rule, as it was followed by a spring with a severe water shortage. This resulted in a noticeable deficit in the usual cotton yield. There is no doubt that the deficit in that year cannot be attributed solely to the scarcity of water, but other factors were also at play, namely pests that hindered the production of the usual yield. It is not possible to attribute the entire loss to this factor alone. However, the cultivation of cotton in the usual area, which is... feddans, was almost abandoned, and cotton was only cultivated in... feddans. Therefore, if the cultivated area were to remain as it is now, precautionary measures would have to be taken for the future by increasing the amount of water to... feddans with sufficient water for cotton cultivation, in case a year like 1917 occurs. To achieve this, it is sufficient to not exceed... million cubic meters of water. However, due to the expansion of agriculture and the transformation of the irrigation system, additional water will be needed to meet future demands in the summer season, as shown in the table. We will now discuss the works necessary for this purpose.

Works necessary to meet the water demand

Now that we know the demands of each decade and the amount of water that can be provided in flood years, it is possible to draw up programs of works necessary to regulate the river so that sufficient water for irrigation can be provided at all times. While discussing the works necessary to provide summer supply, we must not forget the utmost necessity of saving the Egyptian Delta from the dangers of high floods.

Since Egypt has no means of protection other than the embankment, it has no choice but to rely on it. However, these embankments, despite their length, have proven insufficient in the past. And despite the great efforts made to strengthen them in recent years, they are not safe. If it is possible to mitigate the impact of high floods by means of regulation, this would be more reassuring. If one work could fulfill all these needs, it would undoubtedly have to be started immediately. However, such a simple solution is, unfortunately, not available. In fact, there is a series of works, each of which must be undertaken in its time to ensure the regulation of the river. After careful consideration of many projects and thorough investigation of various aspects, including the prioritization of their commencement, the following works are proposed in order:

1. A reservoir at White Nile with a dam at Jebel Aulia to increase Egypt's summer supply and to provide a strong defense against high floods.

2. A small reservoir on the Blue Nile with a dam at Sennar to irrigate the Gezira.

3. Weirs at Nag' Hammadi to protect the crops in the Upper Egypt region that have not yet been converted to summer irrigation, and to supply them with summer water when they are irrigated.

4. A reservoir in the upper reaches of the Blue Nile to increase Sudan's supply and help regulate the flood.

5. A reservoir at Lake Albert to store the necessary water to meet Egypt's maximum needs.

6. A canal in the dam area to ensure the flow of water from Lake Albert to the main Nile.

From the available information, it is clear that the completion of these works in the mentioned order will result in a gradual, step-by-step increase in agricultural production, ensuring the necessary water supply even in dry years.

It is essential to obtain further information before making accurate cost estimates to determine whether it is economically feasible to work towards achieving the conditions of the driest years, or whether it is financially more advantageous to accept some deficit in rice cultivation and some delay in the irrigation of other crops if these conditions occur.

The reason for arranging the hopes in the aforementioned manner is that each of them will be a vital link in a chain capable of irrigating the Nile Valley, with the understanding that the need for each link is not limited to the time of its completion, but also extends to it after the completion of the chain.

This does not include the additional quantities required for the Nile crops planted in July.