Egypt assessed its water situation and the most important challenges it faces from the effects of climate change at a meeting of the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources said in a statement on Monday.
The meeting was held as part of the Egyptian government’s preparations to organize the Cairo Water Weeks (CWW) in October under the theme "Water at the Heart of the Climate Action" as a preparatory platform for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), set for the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in November.
The Ministry said a high-level delegation participated in the expert meeting of the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council, which was held on July 20 and 21.
Dutch officials expressed their willingness to support CWW, especially the session to prepare for the submission of a report for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Water Action Decade, scheduled for March 2023.
They stressed support for the “Water and Climate Pavilion” during the COP27, and for Egypt’s adaptation strategy for the water sector under the foreseen changes affecting water resources management.
The Egyptian delegation reviewed the water situation in Egypt and the most important challenges facing the water sector and efforts to confront them.
The Egyptian Ministry said the two sides agreed on an initiative to provide data on water productivity by declaring Egypt a regional platform for piloting data and information on water productivity in the region.
The delegation also reviewed the successful Egyptian experience in the field of treating agricultural drains using wetland technology, the Ministry statement said.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty hailed the water cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands that dates back 46 years to the establishment of the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council for Water Management in 1976.
He said bilateral cooperation between both countries helped build bridges of trust, and this was reflected in the increasing experiences in the fields of water management and treatment, water quality improvement and integrated coastal zone management.
