|
Egypt s water status and needs
The Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs invited Dr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, former Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources and President of the Arab Water Council on March 6, 2010, to speak on Egypt s water status and needs, as well as relations and prospects of cooperation with the Nile Basin countries.
At the outset, Dr. Abu Zeid stressed that Egypt s water position today is not easy. The quantity of water set by the Convention in 1959 was fixed at a time Egypt s population was 20 million. Today, it is the same amount although the population has reached 80 million. He also pointed out that Egypt depends on the Nile to meet its needs of water and that 85% of its water is reserved for agriculture.
He explained that this requires drawing up a water plan until 2017 based on balancing uses and resources. Such a balance can only come through:
1 - The regulation and conservation of water resources
2 – Protecting water from pollution
3 - Working with the Nile Basin countries to get an additional quota.
Dr Abu Zeid further asked questions about what after 2017. He stressed the need for a perception of water resources until 2050 when Egypt s population will be 140 million. With regard to the relationship with the Nile Basin countries, Dr Abu Zeid stressed the need for a comprehensive agreement among them. In this context, he pointed out that the Ethiopian plateau today is of paramount importance but in the future, the equatorial plateau will be of highest importance. Accordingly, there is need for projects for electricity linkage, river transport and agricultural development. He added that already more than 22 projects have been identified; in addition to projects in Uganda and Ethiopia for the construction of dams to generate electricity as a primary goal in this respect. Dr Abu Zeid added that as part of consultations with the Nile Basin countries, a number of positive considerations have been reached, such as prohibition of the sale of water or its transfer outside the Nile Basin, the need for prior notification and no prejudice to Egypt s quota.
Dr Abu Zeid also referred to the ten old agreements concluded in 1902 between the colonizer and the Nile Basin countries. He noted that the most important thing in these conventions for Egypt is their provision that no country can establish a project except with the consent of the others and without adversely affecting Egypt. However, a number of Nile basin countries deny these conventions on the grounds that they were concluded in the colonial era. At any rate, if these agreements were to be reviewed, they must include articles on Egyptian water security and confirm Egypt s and Sudan s water quotas.
Regarding the challenges to the water situation in Egypt, Dr Abu Zeid noted that they are both domestic and foreign. The domestic challenges include regulating water use and pollution prevention. The foreign challenges are notably the stability of Egypt s share of water at a time Egypt s population grew from 20 million to 80 million. This situation requires a water and agriculture policy based on new strains, easing the population congestion around the Nile and canals, preventing pollution and getting out of the valley and Delta. This is what we are trying to implement through projects such as Toshka, Al-Salam Canal, East Owainat and the New Valley. These projects need 34 billion dollars. Dr Abu Zeid stressed the need to get out of the Valley and the Delta to the desert through previous projects that should be adopted and be based on building integrated communities. This is the task of the state and not a job for the users.
In the end, Dr. Abu Zeid said that the water issue is not an issue for irrigation engineers only, but must be addressed by a multidisciplinary approach involving institutions and other bodies for water resources management.
|
|
|
|
