Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilam met with Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Petteri Taalasto to discuss strengthening cooperation between the ministry and the organisation in the field of water resources.
Both officials addressed the international initiative to execute adaptive measures in the water sector that will be presented by Egypt in the upcoming UN Conference of Parties (COP27) in cooperation with the WMO and other international partners.
The initiative includes raising the efficiency of water usage, agreeing on policies and methods of cooperation in all activities related to water, and linking the water and climate agendas in a way that contributes to achieving the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).
According to a statement from the Ministry, the meeting also discussed the initiative that is being prepared by the WMO — commissioned by the UN Secretary-General — to provide early warnings of climatic phenomena in all countries of the world.
Consequently, Sweilam expressed Egypt’s desire to host a regional centre for forecasting climate phenomena in cooperation with the relevant national authorities to provide the necessary support for the development and application of early warning systems in the field of water and climate at the regional level.
He also pointed to the distinguished capabilities available in the ministry and research institutes in the field of rain and flood monitoring and forecasting systems, and the importance of this monitoring and forecasting in reducing the risks resulting from climate changes and increasing flexibility in dealing with these changes.
Furthermore, the minister referred to the support provided by Egypt to African countries by providing them with rain distribution maps. Egypt also established a centre for forecasting rain and climate changes in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, in addition to providing many training courses for African trainees in the field of water and adaptation to climate changes, whether through the Regional Training Centre or the Hydraulics Research Institute Training Centre of the Ministry.
Finally, they discussed Egypt’s contributions to the International Water and Climate Coalition and the possibility of Egypt hosting the next meeting of the coalition’s leaders on the side-lines of the upcoming climate conference to advance climate action and its relationship to the water sector at the international level and all international events such as the Fifth Cairo Water Week and the COP27.
