Khaberni - The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilam, revealed plans of the Egyptian state to compensate for a water gap estimated at about 23 billion cubic meters, which is the difference between the water incoming to Egypt from the Nile and the actual needs.
In a session at the Senate, the minister outlined the "second generation of the water system in Egypt 2.0," affirming that the state is moving in parallel paths to secure the lifeline.
Sweilam explained that Egypt's annual water demand amounts to 88.5 billion cubic meters, while renewable water sources do not exceed 63.3 billion cubic meters, including 55.5 billion cubic meters from Nile waters.
He pointed out that Egypt has succeeded in bridging the gap through the reuse of 23.2 billion cubic meters annually, despite the decline in per capita share to 500 cubic meters annually due to population growth, which is half the global "water poverty line."
The minister announced Egypt's entry into the era of "smart management" through 10 main axes, including the use of "drone" aircraft and free satellite images for monitoring the water system, rainfall forecast models, and using the "Digital Earth Africa" digital platform for precise monitoring of the Nile flow and weeds, supporting transparency and combating corruption.
He mentioned that the giant treatment stations in the New Delta, Bahr El-Baqar, and Al-Mahsama have added 4.8 billion cubic meters annually to the water system, emphasizing the importance of moving towards "desalination for intensive food production" as a future strategic solution, along with continuing research to reduce energy costs.
The minister announced the start of the "National Project to Regulate the Nile" to remove all encroachments and restore the capacity of the riverbed, explaining that work is ongoing to produce digital maps of the riverbed at a cost of 350 million Egyptian pounds, with markers placed naturally every 10 meters to delineate the riverbanks.
He affirmed that the comprehensive digital transformation aims to close the resource gap and achieve maximum transparency, to ensure that every drop of water reaches those who deserve it amid a fierce global struggle for resources. These intense movements of the Ministry of Irrigation come at a time when Egypt's water issue and the Renaissance Dam file are experiencing significant international diplomatic activity.
The American president, Donald Trump, recently sent an important message to his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, expressing his full readiness to relaunch American mediation in the Renaissance Dam file to reach a final and responsible solution.
Trump said that the successful approach to the solution is regular and predictable water discharges during drought periods and dry years for the benefit of Egypt and Sudan, allowing Ethiopia to generate very large amounts of electricity, and perhaps part of it can be granted, or sold, to Egypt or Sudan.
Responding to the message, the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, praised the efforts of the American president in consolidating the pillars of peace and stability at the regional and international levels, and what it contained in appreciation of Egypt's pivotal role in supporting security and stability in the region.
On social media platforms last Saturday, el-Sisi said that he values President Trump's attention to the centrality of the Nile River issue for Egypt, which represents a lifeline for the Egyptian people, affirming Egypt's commitment to serious and constructive cooperation with Nile Basin countries, based on the principles of international law, and in a manner that achieves mutual interests without harming any party, which are the constants upon which the Egyptian position is founded.
