1B cubic meters loss in Egypt's water share would incur harm to 1M citizens

CAIRO – 28 March 2021: Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Aty pointed out Saturday in a TV interview that a one-billion-cubic-meter loss in Egypt's water share would incur harm to one million Egyptians.

That is because one billion cubic meters are used to irrigate 200,000 feddans. That means 200,000 farmers will be influenced negatively, and as a consequence, one million people will suffer given that a rural family typically includes five members.

Those will fall below the poverty line resorting to illegal migration north or south causing destabilization of the region. "Those can be subject to brainwashing," and thus, turn into terrorists, the minister warned.

Abdel Aty underscored that the cut in Egypt's water share will impact the agricultural sector having 40 million workers, who already need support the most.

The minister noted that the government is injecting huge investments in the water sector achieving competitive water resource use efficiency by 90 percent.