By Abdullahi Lukman
Egypt is intensifying efforts to guarantee access to safe drinking water as a basic human right, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam said during a meeting with UN Special Rapporteur Pedro Arrojo Agudo.
Sewilam noted that Egypt faces acute water scarcity, with per capita water availability at about 500 cubic metres per year—less than half the United Nations’ defined water scarcity threshold.
He added that roughly 98% of the country’s water supply depends on the Nile River, increasing pressure on national water management systems.
The minister pointed to what he described as unilateral actions by upstream Nile Basin countries, stressing the need to uphold international water law principles, including prior notification and the obligation not to cause significant harm.
To address domestic water challenges, Sewilam said Egypt is advancing projects under its “Second-Generation Water System 2.0” strategy.
These include large-scale agricultural wastewater treatment facilities such as the New Delta, Bahr El-Baqar and El-Mahssama plants.
The government is also studying expanded desalination projects to help support food production.
Additional measures include strengthening water-quality monitoring systems, adopting modern water-management technologies, rehabilitating aging infrastructure, promoting farmer participation through water-user associations and launching public awareness campaigns on conservation.
Sewilam also highlighted development initiatives in North and Central Sinai, where treated water is being used for agricultural projects.
He referenced broader climate adaptation efforts, coastal protection works and environmentally sustainable community-based programmes.
He emphasized that cooperative, consensus-driven engagement among Nile Basin countries remains essential to protecting shared water resources and ensuring mutual benefits for all parties.
