The controversial plan to turn a desert green

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🗞️ Driving the news: A team led by Dutch engineer Ties van der Hoeven is working on a controversial plan to turn Egypt’s arid Sinai Peninsula into fertile land
• The project aims to restore the region’s ecosystem, tackle climate change, and boost local food and job supplies by regreening 13,500 square miles of desert

🔭 The context: Desert regreening projects like this are gaining attention globally, but critics caution that altering ecosystems on this scale is complex and could have unpredictable impacts on water and weather patterns
• Previous efforts, such as China’s Loess Plateau and Africa’s Great Green Wall, have met both success and setbacks, raising concerns about sustainability and unintended consequences

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Regreening deserts could help sequester carbon, combat desertification, and restore ecosystems, contributing to the fight against climate change
• However, the risks of disrupting natural weather cycles and straining local water resources need careful consideration

⏭️ What's next: Van der Hoeven’s team plans to revitalize Lake Bardawil, then expand to regreen surrounding areas over the next 20 to 40 years
• Success could inspire similar large-scale ecological projects worldwide, though it will depend on scientific accuracy and sustainable management

💬 One quote: “We should protect nature with all we have, but we should also restore nature with all we have.” — Ties van der Hoeven, Dutch engineer leading the Sinai project

📈 One stat: The Sinai Peninsula regreening project covers an area of 13,500 square miles, slightly larger than the U.S. state of Maryland

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