Egypt's Sinai Peninsula is a dry, triangular region connecting Africa and Asia. Thousands of years ago, it was teeming with life, but years of agriculture and human activity have transformed it into a barren desert. Ties van der Hoeven aims to reverse these changes. In an interview with CNN, he revealed his plan to turn the desert into fertile green land full of wildlife.
A Dutchman's Plan to Green the Desert
We are destroying our planet in a frightening way. The only holistic solution to this is large-scale ecological restoration
- van der Hoeven told American journalists. His plan involves greening an area of approximately 35,000 square kilometers, a region slightly larger than Moldova, which spans 33,800 square kilometers.
Van der Hoeven has a detailed plan to save the world. While studying African maps, he noticed a network of dried-up rivers crisscrossing the Sinai, suggesting that the land was once green. His idea is to use sediment extracted from Lake Bardawil to green the surrounding areas. Lake Bardawil is a saltwater lake covering about 629 square kilometers. He would begin by revitalizing the wetlands around Bardawil and then expand the area to attract birds and fish.
Using the sediment from the lake, he plans to create soil where farmers could grow salt-tolerant plant varieties. This would help rejuvenate the land, reducing salinity levels and making the soil capable of supporting a wider range of plants. The full revitalization of the lake would take five to seven years, followed by 20 to 40 years for the broader greening process.
Egypt Considers a Bold Move, but the Consequences Could Vary
This could completely change the weather
- van der Hoeven believes. He argues that adding vegetation to the landscape would increase evaporation, leading to more clouds and rainfall. However, scientists are less enthusiastic, calling the idea controversial. Transforming deserts is unproven and could have unforeseen negative impacts on water and weather patterns.
Nevertheless, van der Hoeven's plan is not just the fantasy of a Dutch dreamer. In his conversation with CNN, he confirmed that in 2022, Egypt signed an agreement with him to start research and planned the restoration of Lake Bardawil. The project was scheduled to begin in December, but conflicts in the Gaza Strip have halted those plans for now.
