Int'l Cooperation Min., USAID Support 5 Mln Egyptians' Access to Clean Water

Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al-Mashat and US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan R. Cohen visited Egypt’s Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) and Cairo’s main water treatment plant at Rod El Farag to measure the socio-economic impacts of the project, and which embodies Egypt’s clear commitment to charting a course to a healthy population.

The visit was also attended by US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Leslie Reed and Chairman of the National Holding Company for Water and Wastewater Mamdouh Raslan to review progress and challenges and identify the future key points to develop Egypt’s water infrastructure.

[caption id="attachment_173751" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] International Cooperation Minister and US Cohen[/caption]

Al-Mashat noted that this project comes under the Ministry’s Global Partnerships Narrative: people at the core, projects in action and purpose as the driver, which aims to transparently showcase projects and their impact on people to promote further action on the SDGs and bolster credibility.

“Our cooperation focuses primarily on enhancing the livelihoods of Egyptian people and engages mostly with civil society organizations and the private sector. Thus, it is focused on putting people and inclusive partnerships at the core for a sustainable future,” Al-Mashat noted.

For his part, Cohen stated: “This facility and many more like it across Egypt represent the United States’ commitment to bringing clean water and sanitation services to the Egyptian people. Since 1986, the United States has invested $243 million to expand the Central Cairo Water System, which continues to serve 5 million people. We have invested more than $3.5 billion to help bring clean water and sanitation services to over 25 million Egyptians.”

[caption id="attachment_173752" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Cairo’s main water treatment plant[/caption]

As the world enters a decade of action and delivery until 2030, the Ministry of International Cooperation conducted a comprehensive mapping exercise of all current effective projects to identify their alignment with relevant SDGs.

In cooperation with several development partners, the Ministry of International Cooperation is currently implementing 43 projects worth $5 billion to achieve Goal 6 for clean water and sanitation, which aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The ministry is committed to expanding cooperation programs with USAID. This year, the ministry allocated an additional budget, worth around $112 million; to execute more projects in seven priority sectors contributing directly to the lives of the Egyptian citizens; namely health, education, higher education, science & technology, agriculture, governance, and trade.

The strategic relationship between Egypt and USAID dates back to 1978, worth more than $30 billion in various sectors that reflect Egypt’s development priorities, including health, population, education, and employment.