Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilam, met with the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Cairo, Peter Mollema, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field of water resources.
The meeting focused on preparing a strategic plan for reusing agricultural wastewater, which involves a feasibility study for desalinating agricultural wastewater with low-cost techniques for agricultural purposes, calculating the salt balance of agricultural drains in the delta, and determining the drains that can be reused. The meeting also discussed calculating the water and environmental balance in the northern lakes.
The meeting also addressed modern methods of protecting beaches using environmentally friendly materials. Sweilam highlighted the role of local communities in providing nature-based solutions to deal with the challenges facing the water sector and coastal areas, such as the project “Enhancing Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change on the Northern Coasts and the Nile Delta”.
The meeting reviewed the most prominent files of cooperation between the two countries, such as the Joint Cooperation for Applied Research (JCAR) project, which aims to strengthen the scientific partnership with the Dutch side. The meeting also discussed the preparation for the second phase of the project.
The meeting also discussed the “Adaptation Initiative in the Water Sector”, and the Dutch support for it. The Dutch side was invited to participate in the first meeting of the initiative’s steering committee during the Sixth Cairo Water Week.
Sweilam also referred to Egypt’s efforts as the current chair of the African Ministers’ Council on Water, where Egypt is leading the regional track to prepare for the World Water Forum to be held in Bali, Indonesia in 2024.
