الفهرس 
Introduction
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Abstract
This study aimed to : Egypt considers an importer water country, however the Nile River passed through it. Because its water coming through nine countries which called transpoundary virtual water. Due to increasing population and non efficient water use in Egypt, it suffers from shortage in water. To solve this problem, we will use water footprint and virtual water analysis to enhance water use efficiency and recover water scarcity problems in Egypt. Water footprint measures the actual occupancies of water resources from the perspective of consumption. It connects water use consumption patterns, and it can be regarded as the best indicator for measuring the influences of agriculture activities on water resource environmental, because the concept of water footprint has expanded water issues into economic field. So in this study we quantify the green, blue, and grey water footprint over the period 2008-2012 in Egypt for some crops from hydrological and economic perspectives and put the virtual water trade balances of these crops within the context of national water needs and water availability.Over the period 2008 to 2012, the analyses of water footprint for rice, maize, and cotton, in Egypt provide the following results. The water footprint of rice was 482.5 million m3/year with an average of 1593 m3/ton which 0%, 82%, and18% was green, blue, and grey water footprint, respectively. However the water footprint of maize was 390.34 million m3/year with an average of 2079.8 m3/ton which 1%, 60.6%, and 38.4% was green, blue, and grey water footprint, respectively. As well as the water footprint of cotton was 2970 million m3/year with an average of 8152 m3/ton which 2.2%, 83 %, and 14.7% was green, blue, and grey water footprint, respectively. As given from previous results that, rice had water footprint lower than maize however maize consumed water requirements less than rice. That is due to grey water footprint for maize was very high where amount of nitrogen applied to maize and rice was about 150 and 50 kg N/Fed, respectively. But for cotton, it had the largest water footprint because it consumed a huge amount of water requirements during growing season. The analyses of water footprint for rice, maize, and cotton, in Egypt from economic perspective give these results ; For rice, the energetic and economic water productivity was 2155.9 kcal/m3 and 2.5 $/m3, respectively. In addition for maize, the energetic and economic water productivity was 2054.5816 kcal/m3and 1.5 $/m3, respectively. But for cotton, the energetic and economic water productivity was 421 kcal/m3 and 0.46 $/m3, respectively. These results explained by that, water footprint for rice was lower than maize and water footprint for maize was lower than cotton. So energetic and economic water productivity for rice was larger than maize and it for maize was larger than cotton.As seen from results, Lower Egypt has the lowest water footprint for rice (1435.9m3/ton) and highest economic water productivity (3 $/m3). So it is recommended to cultivate rice in Lower Egypt. However the gross virtual water exported of rice is 27.35 billion m3/year and its gross virtual water imported is 0.56 billion m3/year. So it is suggested to cultivate 0.3 million ha rice in Lower Egypt to cover the nation consumption. In addition the one cubic meter of water used in rice production in Egypt costs 3$, but the imported one cubic meter of water in rice costs 1.5$. So it is concussed that stop exporting rice because it consumed a huge water footprint and it not economic for Egypt. For maize, Lower Egypt had the lowest water footprint (1602 m3/ton) and highest economic water productivity (2.5 $/m3). So Lower Egypt is the region where Egypt has to plant maize. However the gross virtual water imported of maize was 8.042 billion m3/year and its gross virtual water exported was 0.025 billion m3/year. It is quite clear that annual Egypt maize consumption was about 10.875 million ton/year. The estimated maize planted area was 3.29 million feddan/year. As well as, the one cubic meter of water used in maize production in Egypt costs 2$, but the imported one cubic meter of water of maize costs 3$. So Egypt has to stop importing maize. Lower Egypt had the lowest water footprint for cotton (6275 m3/ton) and highest economic water productivity (0.59 $/m3). So it is important to cultivate cotton in Lower Egypt. However the gross virtual water imported of cotton was 36.9 billion m3/year and its gross virtual water exported was 0.9 billion m3/year. So it is suggested to cultivate 0.21 million ha cotton to cover nation consumption. While, the one cubic meter of water used in cotton production in Egypt costs 0.56 $, but the imported one cubic meter of water in cotton costs 1.13 $. For this reason, Egypt should stop importing cotton because it is not economic. Over the period 2008 to 2012, the analyses of water footprint for wheat and sugarcane in Egypt provide the following results. For wheat, the water footprint of Egyptian wheat was 980 billion m3/year with an average of 1932.24 m3/ton which 2.7%, 67.9%, and 29.4% was green, blue, and grey water footprint. However for sugar cane, the water footprint of Egyptian sugar cane was 194.7 million m3/year with an average of 349.8 m3/ton which 0.83%, 89.14%, and 10% was green, blue, and grey water footprint. As seen from previous results that, sugarcane had water footprint lower than wheat however it consumed crop water requirements more than wheat, due to water footprint depended on crop yield. Where, the energetic water productivity of wheat was 1797.54 kcal/ m3 and its economic water productivity was 2 $/m3 but for sugarcane, the energetic water productivity was 1230 kcal/m3 and its economic water productivity was 1.36 $/m3.For wheat, it is quite clear that Lower Egypt had the lowest water footprint (1511 m3/ton) and highest economic water productivity (1.95 $/m3). So Lower Egypt is the place where Egypt has to plant wheat. However wheat gross virtual water imported was 17.4 billion m3/year and its gross virtual water exported was 7.75 million m3/year. So Egypt has to plant 5.44 million feddan /year of wheat to cover the deficit between wheat production and nation consumption. In the section related to the virtual water flow balances for rice, The one cubic meter of water used in wheat production costs 1.8$, but the imported one cubic meter of water of wheat costs 3$. So it is recommended to cover nation consumption and not export wheat. As noted from results for sugarcane that, Upper Egypt had the lowest water footprint (288 m3/ton) and highest economic water productivity (1.44 $/m3). So it is important to cultivate sugarcane in Upper Egypt. As well as, the gross virtual water imported of sugar cane is 139.9 million m3/year and its gross virtual water exported is 6.93 million m3/year. So it is suggested to cultivate 1.554 million ha sugarcane to cover nation consumption. The one cubic meter of water used in sugarcane production in Egypt costs 10$, but the imported one cubic meter of water in sugarcane costs 7$. So Egypt should stop exporting sugar.As given from previous results, rice and sugarcane have self-sufficiency however wheat.