Egypt’s Minister calls for raising awareness of necessity to preserve water

CAIRO - 25 November 2021:  Water scarcity that Egypt faces requires raising awareness of the importance of water and ways to preserve it, said Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Atti in his speech at a high-level ministerial discussion on the sidelines of the African Water Week under the auspices of the African Union and the Council of African Water Ministers, on Thursday.

 

He added that water is a pivotal issue in the field of achieving sustainable development, stressing Egypt's national expertise that can deal with the challenges facing the water sector.

 

The Egyptian Minister said that  Egypt, representing the African countries, is looking forward to hosting the next UN Climate Conference (COP27) in 2022. “It is a golden opportunity to present water challenges of the African continent,” he said.

 

Abdel-Atti said that the 5th Cairo Water Week that due to be held in October 2022 will be launched under  title “Water at the top of the global climate agenda,” stressing the importance of the challenges related to the water sector in African countries.

 

The Minister stressed Egypt’s support for development in all African countries through the implementation of many water projects, emphasizing the important role represented by the navigational corridor project between Lake Victoria and the Mediterranean Sea (VICMED).

 

He also discussed Egypt’s National Water Resources Plan 2037, which aims at improving water quality, especially in light of Egypt’s reliance on water reuse.