Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty participated on Wednesday in the session of the African Ministerial Council for Water (AMCAO), which was held within the activities of the “Ninth World Water Forum”, in Dakar, Sengal.
The session aimed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the council and the launch of the Water Support Program in Africa.
In his speech, Abdel Aty pointed out that cooperation between Egypt and African countries is one of the main axes in the Egyptian foreign policy, in light of what Egypt possesses of human capabilities and diverse technical and institutional expertise in the field of water resources and other fields, and through this cooperation many development projects are implemented.
He explained that those projects bring direct benefit to the citizens of the African countries, thus contributing to achieving sustainable development and raising the standard of living of citizens to allow facing the challenges facing the continent such as population increase and the spread of poverty, illiteracy and diseases.
The minister also pointed to the Fifth Cairo Water Week, which will be held under the title “Water at the heart of climate action”, and the UN climate conference (COP 27) that Egypt will host in November, as a golden opportunity to present the challenges of the African continent in the field of water.
He further stressed the importance that the challenges related to the water sector receive sufficient international attention, especially in Africa, and provide the necessary funding to confront these challenges.
Moreover, Abdel Aty also participated in the session “The Road Towards the Mid-Term United Nations Conference 2023”, which is organized by the Dutch Ministry of Water. Stressing the importance of working hard in modernizing the water sector and increasing the flexibility of water systems in dealing with various water challenges.
