World Water Council President: Egypt is ‘water expert country

CAIRO – 18 October 2020: Egypt is considered as a "water expert" country, thanks to the knowledge of its engineers, technicians and managers, said President of the World Water Council Loïc Fauchon in his speech at the 2020 CWW on Sunday.

He highlighted the importance of tackling water security in arid regions, saying “This is why the Cairo Water Week has become one of the most famous events on the international water agenda. This year, you have highlighted the subject of water security in arid regions.”

“The climate, but above all population growth, has made other solutions necessary, and the genius of Man has contributed to this. Egypt is a perfect example. It lived through the wrath of the Nile, but saw its population triple in a century. And if the earth is thirsty, populations are thirsty. And water is lacking for its various uses, for agriculture, for industry, for domestic use. Egyptian engineers are famous throughout the world. And today they are developing some of the most advanced techniques: desalination of sea water and waste water reuse,” he continued.

Loïc Fauchon said the council is closely following up the efforts that are being exerted to reach a final agreement on the differences of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), saying “Equity means sharing water within a river basin, including between nations […] Dialogue and realism must prevail if equity is to be the rule and sharing is an obligation in accordance with international law. On behalf of the four hundred member organizations of the World Water Council, I reiterate our availability to help bring the parties closer together and establish the rules of an agreement acceptable to all.”

Under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah El Sisi, the third edition of the Cairo Water Week (CWW) kicked off on Sunday.

The 2020 edition of the CWW, which comes under the slogan “Security for the production of peace and development in arid regions,” has been held online because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the Ministry on Saturday.

The five-day CWW tackles five main topics including water security for sustainable development, cooperation for Achieving water security, Water-Food-Energy NEXUS, climate change, and water security, and innovative solutions for water security, according to the official website of the conference.

The CWW is being held annually in cooperation with the European Union, the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and other international and Arab bodies to tackle water issues, amid climate change that impacts the world’s freshwater.