Egypt approves LE750M to support canals rehabilitation, lining project

CAIRO – 23 February 2021: Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Hala El-Said, agreed to allocate LE 750 million to support the national project for rehabilitating and lining canals and raising their efficiency at the republic level.

This comes as part of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation's plan for the current fiscal year 2020/2021.

El-Said explained in a statement, Tuesday, that the approved amount came within the framework of the national project for the rehabilitation and lining of canals, as well as achieving the goals of the National Water Resources Strategy in Egypt 2037, confirming the Ministry's keenness to provide the necessary support for national projects and the implementation of the President's mandate.

She pointed out the project’s contribution to achieving Egypt’s Vision 2030 due to its connection with its three economic, social and environmental dimensions, and its contribution as well to integrating the spatial dimension by targeting the villages of the presidential initiative, “A Decent Life”.

The minister indicated that the project is expected to achieve a saving of irrigation water by about 5 billion cubic meters annually, explaining that the most prominent objectives of the project are to preserve canals sectors and protect bridges, which increases the efficiency of water transmission and distribution, improves its quality, and reaches farmers at the required times and contributes to Increasing agricultural productivity and improving the environmental and health situation.

El-Said added that the project also works to rationalize the costs of maintenance and cleansing, protect the environment, and create spaces on both sides of the canals, in order to enhance the ability of the roads to serve agricultural and other activities related to citizens, as well as the job opportunities it provides as part of the state's efforts to reduce repercussions of the corona pandemic on labor market conditions.