CAIRO – 14 March 2021: During the 1st round of Baghdad International Water Conference, Egyptian Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Mohamed Abdel Atti reviewed Egypt’s water situation and the state’s 2050 strategy for realizing sustainability in water resources and securing needed water for the future. “97 percent of Egypt's renewed water resources come from abroad,” the minister said adding that the country’s water sector is facing challenges of water shortage and growing population. The 2050 national strategy aims to achieve sustainable management of water resources and a balance between limited water resources and the current and future water needs, he said, adding that the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has also developed a plan for managing water resources until 2037 in cooperation with all relevant ministries, with investments at a cost of more than LE 900 billion. Regarding the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Abdel-Atti said that Egypt is not against development in the Nile Basin countries, it is, however, against unilateral measures that do not take into consideration downstream the interests of countries. Constructions in the Grand Renaissance Dam started on April 2, 2011 at a cost of $4.8 billion.

Source: Egypt Today March 14, 2021 15:00 UTC