Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi gives a top priority to the water file and the necessity of raising people awareness about the importance of preserving water, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam told MENA on Thursday.
Sewilam, in statements to MENA on the sidelines of his participation in the meetings of the 16th session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council in Jordan, said that the Egyptian state has succeeded throughout the past 10 years in establishing several mega projects for the water and irrigation sector.
The state has made unprecedented investments in the water sector, with total investments surpassing 400 billion pounds, Sewilam said, adding that most of the investments targeted agricultural waste water treatment projects for use in developing Sinai and the Western Desert.
The government has also undertaken projects to rehabilitate water facilities across Egypt, the minister said, noting that these mega projects have qualified Egypt to upgrade from the first generation of water systems to the second generation that relies on digitalization and enables the treatment of larger quantities of water.
He added that these projects contribute to cultivating vast areas in the Egyptian desert, hence achieving water security and food security nationwide.
Electing Egypt as the chair of the Executive Bureau of the Arab Ministerial Water Council for 2024-2025 during these meetings, affirms the country’s leading role in the water sector as well as its considerable experience in water management, the minister said.
He hailed the move an “honor” for Egypt to manage this period with Arab sisterly nations.
