Egypt will organize 6th Cairo Water Week under title “Working on Adaptation in the Water Sector for Sustainability”
Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilam, met on Tuesday with French Ambassador to Egypt, Marc Baretti, to discuss the proposed areas of cooperation in the water sector.
The meeting focused on cooperation in the fields of rehabilitating canals using environmentally friendly technologies, modern irrigation, rehabilitating water facilities, establishing and rehabilitating pumping stations, desalinating water for food production, and protecting beaches.
During the meeting, the two parties discussed strengthening scientific cooperation between the two countries through joint coordination between the National Center for Water Research affiliated with the ministry and its counterparts from French research centres and universities, and consideration was given to the French side providing grants for masters and doctoral studies to engineers and researchers at the ministry and the centre.
They also discussed strengthening cooperation between Egypt and France in the field of training and building the capacities of specialists in the field of water. Sweilam indicated that the ministry possesses distinguished training capabilities aimed at raising the capabilities of workers in the water field, whether Egyptians or Africans, through the regional training centre of the ministry and its branches in the governorates.
During the meeting, the minister emphasized the great challenge climate change represents at the global level, pointing out that Egypt’s realization of the impact of climate change on the water sector led Egypt to successfully seek to place water at the heart of global climate action through many international events such as the fifth edition of the Cairo Water Week, the COP27 and the United Nations Water Conference last March.
He also referred to what was achieved during the COP27 launching an international initiative for adaptation in the water sector, which aims to implement projects on the ground in African countries to adapt to climate change. Sweilam invited the French side to support this important initiative.
He pointed out that Egypt is organizing the 6th Cairo Water Week under the title “Working on Adaptation in the Water Sector for Sustainability” during the period from 29 October to 2 November 2023, inviting the French side to participate in this important event to enrich discussions and events.
