Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Swailem met with Cécile Couprie, Regional Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) for the Mediterranean and Sahel region, to discuss ongoing and proposed water-sector projects and ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between Egypt and France in water resources management.
Swailem reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to deepening co-operation with France and the AFD, describing the partnership as a successful model for modernising the country’s water sector and improving the efficiency of its water infrastructure.
The minister reviewed Egypt’s efforts to address water challenges through expanding water reuse projects, improving water-use efficiency, upgrading infrastructure and adopting modern technologies under the country’s second-generation water management strategy, Water 2.0.
Talks focused on the Fourth National Drainage Programme, financed by the AFD, the African Development Bank and Germany’s KfW Development Bank. The programme aims to rehabilitate and renew subsurface drainage networks covering around 1.4 million feddans, helping to boost agricultural productivity and improve water-use efficiency. Swailem stressed the need to accelerate financing procedures for the project.
The two sides also reviewed progress on a feasibility study for the modernisation of the Delta Barrages and the Nubaria Canal, funded by an AFD grant of €645,000.
Swailem highlighted the strategic importance of the Delta Barrages, noting that the next phases of the project would cover civil and electromechanical works, as well as automated monitoring and control systems, to improve water management and distribution.
Discussions also covered preparations for a master plan to modernise pumping stations operated by the Mechanical and Electrical Department.
The proposed study will assess 50 representative stations, set development and maintenance priorities, explore the use of solar energy and draw up a comprehensive investment plan to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption and ensure the long-term sustainability of the pumping station network.
The meeting further explored the establishment of a mechanism to prepare feasibility studies for future joint projects and provide technical support for ongoing and planned co-operation programmes between the ministry and the AFD.
