Sisi: Egypt committed to resolving GERD issue to serve interests of all parties

CAIRO – Egypt is committed to doing its utmost to resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue in such a manner that serves the interests of all the parties involved, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said.

“Egypt also appeals to the international community to consolidate the efforts needed for achieving this fair goal,’ President Sisi added in a pre-recorded speech for the opening of the 5th edition of Cairo Water Week (CWW 2022), which kicked off Sunday under the theme: “Water at the Heart of Climate Action.”

He also stated that Egypt had always been among the first countries to uphold international law and principles related to transboundary rivers, to avoid casing any harm to other parties and ensure equitable use of shared resources.

Sisi stressed that it is Egypt’s firm conviction to work together to optimize the wealth of the Nile basin to ensure prosperity for all, instead of uncooperative individual action that only leads to limited development.

Sisi said the world will need to increase food production by 60 per cent, which depends heavily on a secure water, highlighting the importance of water as an indispensable ingredient to food production.

“Therefore, it has become evident that the challenges of water security and food security are inseparable,” the president added in his pre-recorded speech for the opening of the 5th edition of Cairo Water Week (CWW 2022).

He noted that “climate change had exacerbated this dual challenge, especially for water-scare countries, which could lead to grave consequences that undermine regional as well as international peace and stability.”

“It was Egypt’s destiny to face these three intertwined challenges, namely water security, food security, and climate change,” Sisi said, indicating that “Egypt is one of the world’ driest countries and depends almost totally on the Nile waters.”

He added that despite the State’s adoption of a water consumption rationalization policy, the country’s water resources can no longer fulfill the water needs of the population.”

In light of the above realities, it was necessary to adopt a holistic approach to the successful handling of water and food security challenges, the president said.

Sisi invited CWW participants to the forthcoming global climate summit (COP27), set for November 6-18 in the iconic Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, during which Egypt will launch a new initiative to enhance water resilience.