Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Swilam, attended on Sunday the ceremony organised by the ministry in co-operation with the European Union (EU) Delegation in Cairo to mark the World Water Day 2025, which is held this year under the theme is ‘Glacier Preservation’.
The event was attended by Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Head of EU Delegation to Egypt, together with several ministers, experts, specialists and media figure.
The ceremony featured signing a protocol between the Ministries of Irrigation and Water Resources and Endowments for providing scientific material for preachers to use in educating citizens. Water and climate issues will be included in Friday sermons and programmes as well as other activities organised by the Ministry of Endowments.
Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources signed another protocol with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education to co-operate in organising awareness seminars, unifying media messages directed to citizens, arranging educational school trips to irrigation museums and facilities, and cooperating between the two ministries in organizing a competition for school students.
During the ceremony, a documentary was shown reviewing the history of irrigation in Egypt since the era of the ancient Egyptians through the renaissance of modern Egypt under of Mohammad Ali Pasha. It also displayed the current challenges, on top of which is overpopulation.
Addressing the event, Minister Swelim, greeted the EU the constructive and continuous co-operation with the ministry, pointing out that that the celebration of the 2025 World Water Day |emphasises our commitment to water by preserving it and protecting it from pollution.|
Minister Swelimoffered the event a presentation reviewing the key features and axes of the second generation of the irrigation system in Egypt 2.0.
According to the minister, Egypt’s needs of water amount to about 114 billion cubic meters of annually, while the country’s resources are estimated at about 60 billion cubic meters per year, with reuse of about 21 billion cubic meters per year of water.
He referred to importing agricultural crops from abroad that correspond to an estimated water consumption of about 33. 50 billion cubic meters per year, and the decline in the per capita share of water to about 500 cubic meters annually.
This has prompted the ministry to carry out many major projects, policies and procedures under the umbrella of the second generation of the Egyptian irrigation system 2.0.
This generation relies on modern technology and scientific research, aiming to maximise benefits of the available water resources, he said.
Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Head of EU Delegation to Egypt highlighted to the solid partnership between Egypt and the bloc in the field of water management.
The two sides are working hard together to promote innovative solutions that protect our water resources for future generations, she said, stressing the keenness to continue this cooperation in the future to serve water issues.
