LE900 bn required to fulfill water needs: Minister

CAIRO – 5 July 2017: Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty told the press on Tuesday that the state needs LE 900 billion ($50.31 billion) to execute the National Plan for Water Resources (2017 – 2037).

This is in light of the challenges facing water resources, which will increase in the future due to overpopulation and the subsequent increase in water needs in the industrial, agricultural, and drinking water sectors.

The plan is set to face these challenges through four main areas of focus. The first is developing additional water resources. The second is rationalizing water use in all sectors. The third is improving the quality of water and preventing its pollution. The fourth is creating a suitable environment to execute the plan through legislative, institutional, and coordinative measures.

The plan also includes local schemes for water resources in five governorates: Qena, Fayoum, Beheira, Damietta, and Kafr El Sheikh. The planning sector in the ministry has been expanding its water resource strategies for all governorates.