Gov't Denies Wasting Billions of Pounds on Flood Barriers along Arish Valley to No Avail

The Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation denied wasting billions of pounds on constructing barriers to protect against the dangers of torrential rains along Wadi El-Arish without achieving any benefit from rainwater.

The ministry said that any special financial allocations in this regard are directed with the aim of optimizing the use of torrential waters along Wadi El-Arish, which is one of the largest valleys in North Sinai, in terms of area and the quantities of water it absorbs, according to a statement issued by the Cabinet.

The ministry indicated that the torrents had previously completely flooded the city of Arish in 2010, and the encroachments on the natural course of the valley have been removed, the course has been maintained, and bridges have been implemented to protect the city and its vital facilities and infrastructure. 

An artificial lake and 5 basins for rainwater with a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters have also been established to harvest this water. An artificial lake and a barrier behind it will start on Wadi Al-Arzaq with a total capacity of 7 million cubic meters for rain harvesting.

Al-Rawafa Dam, established in 1946, with a storage capacity of 5.2 million cubic meters, was able to reserve the torrential waters resulting from the storm that the region was exposed to on March 14, and the water did not reach the sea, and therefore the torrential waters did not reach the valley stream and there were no drainage of any quantities from the valley to the sea.

The ministry noted that the Al-Rawafa Dam lake was cleared and its efficiency was raised in 2012, and that the current storage capacity of the lake exceeds 50% of the maximum design capacity. Silt removal will begin after the decrease in the amount of water resulting from the recent rainstorm on March 14, 2023.

"Many protection works have been and are being implemented for the dangers of torrential rains in Egypt, where 1,500 facilities have been established to provide protection for citizens and protect Bedouin villages and facilities, whose value is estimated at tens of billions, in addition to collecting rainwater in artificial lakes in front of protection dams for use by Bedouin communities, which results in feeding the aquifer, ensuring the sustainability of the water source."