Marking Africa Day, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilem, has reaffirmed Cairo’s commitment to consolidating partnerships with African countries to tackle growing water and climate challenges across the continent.
Egypt takes pride in its African identity and remains dedicated to supporting sustainable development efforts through closer co-operation in water management, climate resilience and environmental protection, a press release quoted the minister as saying.
Sweilem also stressed that enhancing collaboration and exchanging expertise among African nations are essential to addressing shared challenges and promoting prosperity across the continent.
Co-operation with African states remains a central pillar of the ministry’s strategy, in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to deepen South-South co-operation and back development initiatives throughout Africa, he added.
The minister highlighted several projects which the ministry is carrying out in African countries, including water resource management ones, weed control in waterways, rainwater harvesting systems, groundwater well drilling, as well as training programmes and technical capacity-building initiatives.
Egypt has also launched a $100 million funding mechanism, introduced under presidential directives, to support feasibility studies and development projects in Nile Basin countries, he said.
The rising pressure posed by water scarcity and climate change require stronger regional co-operation, greater knowledge-sharing and enhanced institutional capacity among African nations, he noted.
Egypt remains committed to sharing its technical expertise through development, research and training projects aimed at improving water management and boosting climate resilience, Sweilem stated.
The minister further underlined Egypt’s support for joint African action through its co-operation with the African Ministers’ Council on Water, describing the body as a key platform for co-ordinating African positions on water issues and advancing regional co-operation to achieve water security.
Sweilem said Egypt’s chairmanship of AMCOW from 2023 to 2025 reflects the confidence African countries place in Egypt’s leadership in the water sector and its role in supporting development efforts across the continent.
He added that Egypt currently chairs the African Water Facility, which supports the preparation and financing of water projects in African countries, stressing Cairo’s commitment to enhancing investment in the sector and helping African nations confront mounting water and climate challenges.
Sweilem concluded by affirming that Egypt will continue supporting African countries in water, environmental and climate-related fields through expanded co-operation, expertise exchange and capacity-building initiatives aimed at promoting water security and sustainable development across Africa.
