Egypt may double financial allocations for national water plan: Irrigation Minister

CAIRO – 2 April 2022: Water scarcity, which is exacerbated by climate change, is one of the main causes of migration and population displacement in many parts, said Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Atti virtual participation in a session held as part of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2022 (MENACW22) on water scarcity and migration.

 

The Minister gave an example that Lake Chad in Central Africa suffers decline of water level and led to tensions over water and the emergence of terrorist groups. He added 

 

Climate change has an obvious impact on the hydrological cycle of water and freshwater supplies unequally around the world, posing a serious threat to water security, food security, livelihoods and ecosystems, said the Minister.

 

This is besides the severe impact on delta regions in the world as a result of rising sea levels, he continued, mentioning that the World Bank (WB) estimated that the Middle East and North Africa region could lose up to 14% of its GDP by 2050 due to water stress.

 

Abdel Atti stressed that Egypt is approaching the limit of water scarcity, as the per capita share of water is about 560 cubic meters annually. He continued that 40 percent of the workforce in Egypt depends on agriculture as a main source of income.

 

However, he continued that the Egyptian government has developed national water resources strategy 2037, with investments amounting to $50 billion, which is expected to increase to $100 billion.