6th Cairo Water Week to focus on climate action, present discussions for review at COP28

CAIRO – 17 April 2023: The sixth edition of Cairo Water Week (CWW) will be held from 29 October to 2 November with a focus on climate action, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources on Monday.

The outcomes and proposals of the sixth CWW, held under the theme “Action on Water Adaptation for Sustainability,” will be presented for review to the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) scheduled to kick off late in November in the United Arab Emirates.

The sixth CWW reflects the Egyptian state’s great interest in the field of water and its relationship with climate change, Minister of Irrigation Hani Sewilam said, while following up on the preparations for the water week.

The 2023 CWW is an extension of the efforts made in this field during the fifth CWW, which was held under the theme “Water at the Heart of the Climate Action.”

This CWW aims to integrate water issues into climate action, discuss the effects of climate change on the water sector, and enhance reliance on modern technology and innovations to meet water challenges in non-traditional ways, the statement said.

The water week will also work to support and implement integrated water management policies and reach sustainable solutions for managing water resources to face population increase and climate change.

Ministerial and official delegations from most countries of the world and representatives of many international and regional organizations concerned with water issues are scheduled to participate in the sixth CWW.

The water week will include many high-level sessions, besides technical sessions and workshops, as well as presentations from prominent international speakers.

Water was among the top issues discussed at the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) hosted by Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh in November last year.

At COP27, Sewilam announced the launch of the Action on Water, Adaptation, and Resilience (AWARe) international initiative during the thematic day of Gender and Water Day of the conference.

The initiative offers transitional water adaptation solutions to protect the world’s most vulnerable communities and ecosystems in the African continent, given the negative impact of climate change on African water security.