Egypt called for greater investment in water management and infrastructure as a cornerstone of sustainable development at the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting here on Tuesday.
Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, emphasized the critical role of water in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during her address to the Development Working Group.
“Efficient water resource management directly impacts the implementation of various sustainable development goals,” Al-Mashat said.
She highlighted the challenges posed by climate change, including water scarcity, pollution, and environmental degradation. Al-Mashat underscored the need for sustainable and affordable access to safe drinking water, echoing the Brazilian presidency’s call to enhance water services.
Egypt’s AWARe initiative, launched at the climate conference, aims to address global water and climate challenges, particularly in vulnerable developing countries, through on-the-ground project support, Al-Mashat said.
To bolster its water management efforts, Egypt has allocated 19% of concessional development financing from international partners to water projects under SDG 6.
These initiatives include enhancing national capacities to address water security challenges, establishing a desalination system in the Gulf of Suez, and implementing water and sanitation projects across the country.
Al-Mashat stressed the interconnectedness of SDG 6 with other development goals, such as health, well-being, poverty eradication, and inequality reduction.
She called for increased and flexible financing for water planning systems and infrastructure, noting that developing countries are disproportionately affected by the lack of resources.
The minister emphasized the importance of community participation in water management and the need for strengthened cooperation at the local and international levels to accelerate progress on SDG 6.
The G20 Development Working Group also discussed mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs through innovative approaches, with a particular focus on human capital development in health and education.
