Benefit: The Romans introduced the sakia 2,300 years ago and they are still used today to raise water from underground wells. Some farmers now use electrical pumps to take water from the Nile onto farmland. Crops grown along the Nile and fish caught in the river provide food for the people of Egypt.
Threat: Despite its importance, the Nile is still heavily polluted in Egypt by waste water and rubbish poured directly into it, as well as agricultural runoff and industrial waste, with consequences for biodiversity, especially fishing and human health.
