CWW: EU-UfM Egypt Water Governance and Business Forum kicks off

 

 

CAIRO – 19 October 2020: The second European Union (EU), Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Egypt Water Governance and Business Forum, will kick off on Monday morning in Cairo, on the sidelines of the third edition of the Cairo Water Week (CWW) that was launched by the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation on Sunday.

 

 

The forum, which will be attended by head of the EU Delegation to Egypt Christian Berger and Secretary-General of the UfM Nasser Kamel, will tackle the water and sanitation issues that face the Mediterranean region and the UfM vision of sustainability to overcome the water scarcity challenges, according to a press release from the forum on Monday.

 

 

 

The one-day forum also aims at serving as an “technical follow up” to enhance cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

 

 

“The EU and its Member States are partners of Egypt in its ambitious agenda for water management; work closely with authorities and provide support, technical expertise, and capacity building. The joint aim is to make full use of opportunities that water offers,” said ambassador Christian Berger, adding that the EU is working to support “Egypt as a regional hub for the transfer of knowledge on water management.”

 

 

“Water Resources management in the Mediterranean is extremely challenging and although water governance settings are improving, natural conditions, climate change impacts, and the current COVID-19 pandemic are further exacerbating existing vulnerabilities,” said Secretary-General of the UfM Nasser Kamel.

 

 

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,” is being held online because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the Ministry.

 

 

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 (EU), 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.