Egypt, Tajikistan to attend water conferences held by each other in 2022/23

CAIRO – 11 April 2022: Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Aty met Sunday evening with Tajikistan Ambassador to Cairo Darab al-Din Qassemy to examine ways of exchanging experience on water management, and the possibility of drafting a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in that field.

It is noted that the minister, representing Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, will attend the second edition of Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference held jointly by Tajikistan and the United Nations in June 2022.

On the other hand, Tajikistan will take part in the fifth edition of Cairo Water Week, as well as COP 27 to be hosted by Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh next November.

The minister gave to the ambassador an overview of the country's preparations for the Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028) to be held in March 2023 in New York.

Abdel Aty noted that the ministry is producing a report on the challenges facing developing countries that suffer from water scarcity. The report also includes recommendations that help such countries accomplish sustainable development goals (SDGs) pertaining to water.

The minister and the ambassador also conferred over the action plan of the Water and Climate Coalition. In that context, Abdel Aty highlighted Egypt's keenness on presenting the priorities of Africa, the challenges it faces within different relevant international initiatives, and mobilizing international support to the coalition at COP 27.

Tajikistan is member of the Water and Climate Coalition, which is an international initiative that aims for integration between the water and climate agendas, and the adoption of pertinent rational policies. The coalition collaborates with a number of United Nations organizations, such as World Meteorological Organization.

The meeting concluded by the minister displaying the measures taken by Egypt to enhance the irrigation system, and coexistence with the negative impact of climate change.

Those steps include the lining and cleaning of canals, transformation into drip irrigation, recycling of wastewater, flood protection structures, and beach protection structures among other projects and initiatives.