Egypt suffers from water deficit of 90% of its renewable resources

Egypt suffers from a water deficit of 90 per cent of its renewable resources, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty said yesterday.

Speaking at the fourth edition of the Cairo Water Week, which began in Cairo yesterday, Abdel Aty said Egypt reuses 35 per cent of those resources to bridge the gap in water deficit.

He pointed out the importance of concerted global efforts to deal with the challenges related to water, which, he said, is the most challenging crisis.

“Without this cooperation, no country will be able to face these challenges alone because we live in one world with a common destiny,” he said.

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Egypt has implemented many major national projects and used modern technology in water management in order to deal with the water crisis, he continued, pointing out that Egypt is keen to enhance cooperation with all countries, especially African countries regarding water issues.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el Sisi told the conference that the Egyptian people are closely following up on the developments regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

He stressed that Egypt aspires to reach a balanced and legally binding agreement with Ethiopia.

“Egypt is one of the driest countries in the world and is exclusively dependent on the Nile waters. We understand the development goals of Ethiopia, but the dangers of the Ethiopian Dam to Egypt and Sudan must be considered,” he said.