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Egypt Independent
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Aty discussed issues related to the country’s water resources. The discussion covered the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and government efforts to rationalize water usage with conservationist representatives, members of Parliament, and the Coordination of Youth Parties and Politicians on Saturday.
Abdel-Aty reviewed the intention to conclude the dam negotiations, in a way which “maintains Egypt’s water rights”.
“Egypt has cooperated with other African countries to establish dams to harvest rainwater, which will help provide drinkable water to remote areas and utilize solar energy, utilise underground wells and improve waterway networks”, the Minister noted.
“Egypt is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, with water resources estimated at 60 billion cubic meters annually, mostly from the Nile, in addition to limited amounts of rainwater and deep groundwater in the deserts”, Abdel-Aty stressed.
The Minister highlighted, “the total water needs in Egypt is up to 114 billion cubic meters annually”, adding, “with this gap compensated by reusing agricultural wastewater , surface and groundwater alongside importing food products”.
Egypt is preparing a strategy for water resources until 2050 at a cost of £E900 Billion, through a national plan for water resources. The strategy includes rationalising water use, improving its quality, developing additional water sources and creating a climate for optimal water management.
The construction of the GERD, which began in 2011, is one of Egypt’s most serious water issues.
Ethiopia, on the other hand, has stressed the importance of the project to bolster its economy, where more than half of the population currently live without access to electricity.
