Emad Attiah Ramadan used to grow tomatoes on his plot on the edge of the Egyptian city of Damietta.
These days he plants rice instead.
Ramadan is one of tens of thousands of farmers racing to adapt to encroaching salinity in the Nile Delta, caused partly by climate change that has raised sea levels.
Commenting on this, Emad Attiah Ramadan, Farmer pointed out, "Salinity increased over the past two years, every year it increases. We decided to plant rice this year because I was fed up, just to wash the land. I'm fed up with the salinity and the use of salinity correctors, so I decided to grow rice."
The Nile Delta is a densely populated and fertile triangle of green that accounts for more than a third of Egypt's agricultural land.
Experts say rising salinity in the Delta has multiple causes, including overextraction of groundwater and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides.
But they say it is being made worse by climate change that has already raised sea levels and temperatures in Egypt.
Local farmers have several options for adaptation.
They range from creating raised beds, to improving irrigation efficiency and drainage, to planting new crops.
But some struggle to treat and rinse the soil, as they experiment with new crops.
Irregular rainfall and a lack of fresh water for irrigation don’t help and hotter temperatures every year accelerate evaporation, further concentrating the salt.
Farm manager Hossam el-Azabawy says soil salinity can cut yields in half, for even the most resistant of crops.
This year, he has experimented with a new strain of rice that gives an 18% higher yield.
Commenting on this, Hossam el-Azabawy, Farm manager and agricultural engineer said, "For the rice here, we planted two types. This is called Sakha super 300, it is a new type which is salinity-resistant, and consumes less water and fertilizers. This one is Sakha 108. It gives high yields ranging from 4.5 to 4.75 tons.''
Globally, Egypt is the fifth most vulnerable country to the economic impact of sea level rise on cities. That's according to a World Bank report published in November 2022.
Sea levels have been rising by 3.2mm annually since 2012 in the country.
Experts at the United Nations Food and Agriculture organisation say that will likely push the line of salinity down deeper into the Delta.
A study published in 2021 calculated that 60% of a 450km square area in the north-east of the Delta would be negatively affected by rising groundwater linked to sea level rise by the end of the century.
For now, farmers like Ramadan and el-Azabawy, are continuing to find new ways to adapt.
"Salinity is one of the problems facing farmers in Egypt. Treating it is difficult and takes time. Salinity correctors are like pain killers, their impact is only limited to the time of the irrigation only, it improves the environment around the roots at the time of irrigation only in order for the plant to absorb (water) easily. There is no quick, radical fix for salinity. It needs a lot of work and a lot of finance."
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