CAIRO - Societies flourish when their living spaces allow continued development and progress. This has been the case throughout history in all regions of the world. In the case of Egypt today, increase of population and urban growth over the fertile land of the Nile Valley and its Delta threaten to curtail development. This condition necessitates new thrusts that would open new vistas for younger generations. The proposed Development Corridor west of the Nile Valley and its Delta provides the needed space. It allows expansion to unlimited extent for urban growth, and the attendant development in the industrial, agricultural, trading and tourism sectors. The proposed initiative can be regulated by the Government, while the infrastructure may be developed by the private sector, according to its proponents. The basic components of the proposed project include the construction of a superhighway using the highest international standards along the total length of 1,200 kilometres. This main axis is to extend from near el-Alamein, west of Alexandria to the southern border of Egypt. It will also include a minimum of 12 east-west branches, with the total length of approximately 800 kilometres, to connect the superhighway to high-density population centres along the way. Also planned is a railroad parallel to the superhighway for fast transport of people and products and a water pipeline from the Tushka Canal to supply freshwater along the Corridor. The selected region for this major endeavour is a flat limestone plateau just west of the Nile Valley. The plateau dips slightly toward the north until the land reaches the Mediterranean Sea. This natural setting allows water to flow from the Tushka area to the coastline under its own pressure with no energy consumption. This open desert setting of the Development Corridor is particularly suited to allow innovations in the generation of energy through the utilisation of abundant solar and wind sources. Renewable energy sources would not only satisfy the local needs along the Corridor, but also have the potential of supply to the rest of the country. Addressing the First International Conference on Sustainability and the Future organised by the British University in Egypt (BUE), famed Egyptian researcher Farouq el-Baz on Tuesday said: "We need a group of thinkers and practitioners to establish the challenges facing Egypt in the next century and to develop a roadmap for how we can reach such goals." He added that the present initiative by the BUE should be considered as one step in the long march. "Students must be involved in every step along the way; the road map is for the sake of their own future," he said. “Papers, projects, lectures, plays or art competitions should be considered as part of this process.
