The coastal area of Western Desert of Egypt is a hot dry area with less than150 mm rain- fall and more than370C temperatures in summer. Raising livestock, especially sheep and goats, is historically the main socioeconomic activity for the local communities (Bedouin). The area, however, has witnessed major changes over the last decades; demographic growth, urhanization, tourism development and land reclamation in the East, beside prolonged drought from 19952010. Three agro ecological zones are characterized in the region; the rain-fed area with communal grazing in the West, the newly reclaimed land with irrigatedfarmingintheEast,and the desert oases in the South. Field survey was carried out in 20 Il with ·182 smaIl ruminant breeders to assess the role of livestock in the family net income, and in sustaining their livelihood under the prevailing dry conditions. Livestock contribution to the total income of the localcommunity in the rain-fedareadiffered significantly with flock size; being 28.4% for small breeder, 43.7% for the mediumones and 80.0% for the large breeders, mainly from sheep and goats .In thene-wlyreclaitnedJan?s,it was related to farm size 57.6% for small farms (2 acres) to 70% for large fartns(>35a9r~s). Source of income in the desert oasis was very diversified, livestock contributedon.~ver~ge27<XJ to the total income of the local community there. Off-farrn activitiescontributedsigtlificantly to the family income of the oasis cOlnmunity, andto the smaIlholders intherain-fedarea'iwhileit was minor for medium and large breeders, and in the reclaimedarea. Crops(mainlycereals)and fruit trees contributed highly to the income of oases communities,and moderatelyt?thesmall and medium size breeders in the rain-fed and reclaimed land.The breeders'flockcontributed significantly to the nutritional status of their families in the three zones,through high domestic consumption for meat and milk. (Texte intégral)