The third edition of Nasser Fellowship for International Leadership organised on Thursday night a discussion panel on “Water Resources and Sustainable Development”.
The discussions brought together Dr Abbas Sharaky, Professor of Geology and Water Resources at Cairo University; Jihan Abdel Salam, Professor of Economics at Cairo University; and Amira Sayed, a journalist at The Egyptian Gazette and Egypt’s representative in the World Water Parliament for Youth (WWPY).
Hassan Ghazali, General Coordinator of the Nasser Scholarship for International Leadership, moderated the discussion.
Sharaky stressed that Egypt has exerted tireless efforts to deal with a number of water challenges, mainly drought and water scarcity.
“Africa is working hard to attain its water rights. Indeed, around 80 per cent of Egypt’s water resources are drying up as rain scarcity in the country is the highest globally,” Sharaky said.
He said that the River Nile is a stable resource of water. Egypt has only 20 cubic metres per person of internal renewable fresh water resources.
The River Nile is the backbone of Egypt’s industrial and agricultural sector and is the primary source of drinking water for the population, he said.
The state had founded High Dam in Aswan to make the best use of the limited share of water, Sharaky went on to say.
For her part, Dr Abdel Salam said that water security is part and parcel of the national security.
She spoke about the issue of the Ethiopian dam, saying that Egypt showed flexibility during the negotiations in order to reach a just and legally binding agreement related to filling and operating the dam.
She further stressed that Egypt has never obstructed development in the Nile Basin countries as it is already implementing several projects including dams and water schemes in the region.
The Ethiopian dam is a national security issue for Egypt, as it mainly relies on the River Nile,” she added.
She also touched on the efforts Egypt had taken to preserve its rights in the River Nile. Abdel Salam referred to Egypt’s leading role in the development of African countries.
She said that the government is implementing many major projects as part of the National Water Resources Plan until 2037 that aim to increase the capacity of the water system to deal with water challenges with a high degree of flexibility and efficiency. It also aimed to achieve many goals such as rationalising water use, modernising and developing the water system, adapting to climate change, and achieving sustainable development for agricultural development projects.
Egypt’s representative in WWPY briefed the participants on the WWPY as a youth entity comprising specialists and non-specialists in the water file.
The parliament holds a plenary session every three years, including more than one committee and more than a local parliament,” Amira Sayed told this paper.
She stressed the importance of youth diplomacy in solving water challenges, especially with the continuous pressures on the available water resources.
Sayed underscored that young people should have an effective role in decision-making as water security is an integral part of the national security for any country.
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