SOUTHERN EGYPT — Satellite images from 2025 show increased land cultivation in southern Egypt's desert regions, near the border with Sudan. Agricultural development expanded between 2015 and 2025.

The images were captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, which uses a near-infrared channel to display vegetation in red. Much of the cropland in this area is arranged in circular fields, some as large as 800 meters wide. These circular patterns result from central-pivot irrigation systems, where sprinklers rotate around a central well to distribute water.

Water for these agricultural fields is supplied through canals originating from Lake Nasser. Lake Nasser is an artificial reservoir created by a dam across the Nile River. The diversion of water from Lake Nasser led to the formation of the Toshka Lakes during the 1980s and 1990s. The Toshka Lakes are endorheic lakes, meaning they retain water and do not have an outflow to other bodies of water, and are filled by overflow from Lake Nasser via a manmade canal.

The Toshka Lakes shrank between 2012 and 2018. However, summer rainfall in Sudan in 2019 and subsequent floods in 2020 contributed to their replenishment. Images from 2025 show the Toshka Lakes appearing fully filled. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission is also utilized for purposes such as measuring water quality and detecting changes in water bodies.

Why It Matters

The expansion of agricultural land in southern Egypt addresses the country's prevalent desert landscape, as over 95% of Egypt is desert. This development relies on irrigation projects drawing water from Lake Nasser, an artificial reservoir. The growth in cultivation from 2015 to 2025 indicates a continued effort to reclaim desert areas for agriculture, which has implications for water resource management in the region, including the dynamics of the Toshka Lakes.