CAIRO – Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania el-Mashat, said the presidential initiative Decent Life, which contributed to increasing the percentage of access to water and sanitation services for the population of rural Egypt, has contributed to increasing the percentage of access to sanitation services in participating villages by 45% between 2021 and 2024.
She added during a speech to the first regional conference of the European Investment Bank (EIB) water is a vital element for the economy, as it supports key sectors such as agriculture, energy, industry and manufacturing, currently held in Cyprus.
In light of the current high demand, additional resources are required to deal with this reality, she said, noting that Egypt adopts a comprehensive strategy until 2037 to address water scarcity, in addition to a national strategy for drinking water and sanitation that focuses on improving water quality, expanding resources, reducing consumption, and promoting sustainable development.
The EIB conference was held in Cyprus under the title Water Challenges in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Region: Sustainability and Resilience, which aims to shed light on the pressing water challenges facing the southern and eastern Mediterranean region.
The conference will be attended by Nikos Christodoulides, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, and Kyriacos Kakouris, the Vice President of the EIB.
