He added that this situation requires necessary policies and measures, besides implementing many major projects to achieve the integrated and optimal management of water resources. Egypt gets 97% of its water from the Nile River and its annual need of water is about 114 billion cubic meters, said the Minister, adding that water resources do not exceed 60 billion cubic meters annually, with a gap between the resources and the consumption is of up to 54 billion cubic meters annually. “This gap is filled throughout reusing water, and importing agricultural crops [that could consume] about 34 billion cubic meters annually. “Ethiopian side deliberately issued false statements and managed the dam unilaterally, which caused great damage to the two downstream countries [Egypt and Sudan],” he added. “Water scarcity and climatic changes worsened the situation in water management in Egypt and made it very sensitive towards any unilateral projects implemented in the Nile Basin countries, without just and binding legal agreements to regulate these projects and limit their negative impacts on water in Egypt,” he said.
