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Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Global Water Crisis Affects Egypt Drastically


Sat 10 Nov 2018 | 09:17 PM
Ibrahim Eldeeb

Article by: Aya Shaaban Ali

Different data show that the crisis of water globally is affecting Egypt greatly.

According to the data of the World Bank, the internal fresh water per capita reached 19.61 cubic meters in Egypt in the year 2014.

Based on the data gathered by CAPMAS, there had been a drastic decline in the fresh water received per capita by an 11.1% from 2012 till 2014.

Also, the United Nations forecasts that Egypt will be suffering from an "absolute water crisis" by 2025. Apparently, the situation is worsening, and there are multiple factors that keep on lessening the share of water per capita in Egypt.

One of the fundamental factors is the persistent construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Early in 2015, Egypt wanted to resort to a bilateral agreement with Ethiopia, or else it would involve military action since this dam, in a way or another, threatens Egypt's national security.

Furthermore, the project would violate some treaties that were signed and amended by Egypt and Sudan in 1929, and 1959 respectively. Those treaties acted like a shield against a reduction in the access to the Nile.

Moreover, when the project is 60% ready to be launched, Ethiopia can start collecting water and filling up the dam with portions; a process that can take up to 15 years.

Accordingly, Egypt's share of the Nile River will decrease by an estimated 25% in the next seven years from now. Despite all these facts, Ethiopia pursued on its project, funding most of it.

Egypt's main source of water supply is the Nile that provides the North African country with nearly 85% of fresh water, so such a project is certainly menacing Egypt socially, environmentally, and economically.

Currently, Egypt is trying to maintain its diplomatic relations with Ethiopia and Sudan through sticking to the water management arrangements that the three countries ratified on in May 2018, especially that part of regional infrastructure investment funds.

There are also other factors like the growing number of population, the untreated residential and agricultural wastes, and last but not least, the immense water usage in the agriculture sector.

As for the population, the Egyptian Government has already endeavored in addressing the problem by launching the campaign "Two is Enough" in order to rationalize the birth rate.

Additionally, the government raised the cost of drinking water and sanitation by 46.5% in June 2018 because of the scarcity of the existing water in the country. It is worth noting that this is not the first rise in the price of water, but the second.

Regarding the agricultural sector, the former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdul Atti declared that Egypt suffers from a devastating shortage in water of about 54 billion cubic meters. It needs 114 billion of cubic meters to satisfy the demand of the agricultural, industrial and household sectors, of water.

As much as the current situation seems frustrating, but with the aid of the European External Action Service, Egypt is fulfilling a National Water Resources Plan, which includes raising awareness of water usage, reforming the public water sector, improving the irrigation infrastructure, desalination plants, and some other actions.