Dear Colleagues,

Water crises in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly in desert areas, are considered a challenge owing to the fact that no functioning solutions have been introduced throughout history to change the whole map from yellow to green. Current desert regions are still deserts from millions of years ago, and all scenarios that have been introduced to occupy desert regions account for 1%–2% of the total area. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries that are located in such arid and semi-arid zones are disadvantaged by limited water supply because of high temperature, low precipitation, and limited water resources. We have found that there is no consortium between different fields of interest in the hopes of eventually overcoming the global water crisis. This is practically the case when it comes to using desalination and wastewater treatment technologies and their application for agriculture. Water crises should not only be solved using desalination and wastewater treatment, and other items should be also taken into consideration (soil, plant, and organic matter use, among others). Trials in which nonconventional water (wastewater and brackish water) is reused for agriculture purposes either directly, through blending techniques, or as supplementary resources, will cause an environmental catastrophe owing to the accumulation of either heavy metal hazards or salts in the surrounding ecosystems. Reflecting on the horrible and challenging global consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-2019) pandemic, particularly affecting the elderly and people with low immunity, nonconventional water reuse without secure treatment will result in harmful diseases to everyone irrespective of age, immunity, and feeding systems.

In the present perspective, we are developing novel solutions to overcome the global water crisis via nonconventional water reuse with minimum constraints on ecosystems using the principles of the Sophisticated Desert Development Project (SDDP) or “Electro-Agric technology.” Electro-Agric technology uses electrical fields throughout the agricultural practices. Electro-Agric technology comprises five main sections, including water, soil, organic matter, and plants, among others, that may be achieved via the establishment of a consortium between different major establishments like the Faculties of Engineering, Agriculture, and Science.

This issue will deal with the following subjects:

• Water reuse for agriculture assessment in crop, flower, and ornamental plant productions;
• Desalination for agriculture assessment in crop, flower, and ornamental plant productions;
• Wastewater treatment for agriculture assessment in crop, flower, and ornamental plant productions;
• Economic evaluation and public acceptance of desalination and wastewater treatment for agriculture;
• Hydrology water supply for agriculture;
• Management of the seawater intrusion of coastal aquifers;
• Integrated rainfed agriculture (RFA) and supplementary irrigation in desert coastal areas;
• Magnetization and electrokinetics (EK) to reduce the stress of marginal water reuse;
• Feasibility of linking the Congo and Nile Rivers to supply Egypt with sufficient water;
• Hydroponic systems for food production and simultaneous wastewater treatment;
• Conversion of wastewater into nutrient-rich water;
• Desalination to increase animal production;
• Novel approaches for reclaiming salt-affected soil;
• Novel approaches for the remediation of polluted soil;
• Control of the soil net charge (zeta potential) during irrigation period;
• Preventing aquifer water contamination;
• Sewage sludge reuse for agriculture;
• Generation of power during wastewater treatment;
• Polymer additives to increase the water-holding capacity and nutrient uptake;
• Feasibility of utilizing halophyte plants as food, feed, and biofuel, as well as for saline soil reclamation;
• Reducing excessive salt stresses from water and the soil;
• Genetic breeding and genome editing to alleviate drought and salt stresses in desert areas;
• Accelerating plant growth for windbreak;
• Novel approaches for reducing water evapotranspiration in arid regions;
• Proposal for the establishment of cities based on desalination and treatment;
• Novel approaches for the redistribution of wastewater drainages and desalination plants for blooming the desert;
• Feasibility of integrating agriculture, aquaculture, and the environment.

Dr. Ahmed Abou-Shady
Guest Editor

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• water reuse
• desalination
• wastewater treatment
• rainfed agriculture
• aquifer water
• hydroponic
• seawater intrusion
• genetic breeding
• salt stresses
• land reclamation