October 17^th, 2016

Cairo- The European Union (EU) funded project, "Support to the National Water Resources Plan", has convened its midterm review event on October 17, 2016. This project is within the framework of the EU-funded “Water Sector Reform Program Phase II (WSRP II)” with a total budget of 1.9 million Euros.

Mr. Diego Escalona Paturel, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Egypt said that "the EU cooperation in the water sector has touched upon the lives of millions of Egyptian, stretching over a wide portfolio of programmes covering nine Governorates and total direct Grant funds of nearly EUR 300 Million, leveraging funds of nearly EUR 1 billion in the sector. The estimated end users benefiting from EU support reaches up to 9.5 Million inhabitants. The estimated direct permanent jobs created are 6000 and 150,000 Jobs during constructions".

H.E. Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aty, said: “Egypt is already taking many measures to cover the increasing water requirements related to the rise in population and the improvement of living standards as well as the expansion of agricultural land". He added that Egypt is in the gradual shift from a centralised and one-way-water-management system (top-down) towards the adoption / implementation of integrated water resource management approach within the country’s national economic development (with water as an economic driver) aiming at coordination of actions between different sectors, administrations and at different levels”.

During the event the goals, objectives of the Support to the National Water resources Plan project current stage and achievements of the project were also presented. With the support from this technical assistance, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is now taking the necessary steps to prepare the National Water Resources Plan - NWRP (2017 - 2037), in order to reach the most appropriate ways and means to secure Egypt’s water resources in the future in terms of quantity and quality. Outlining the best water management policies from an economic, social and environmental perspective, the Plan's pillars include securing new additional water resources, such as deep groundwater in the Western Desert and Sinai, harvesting of floods and rain water and the use of non-conventional water resources, and desalination of sea water.

The NWRP pillars include the rational use of existing water resources with emphasis in reducing the waste of irrigation water, the development and re-use of agricultural and household drainage flows, while addressing the protection of public health and environment, in addition to measures needed to reduce the pollution of waterways from both municipal and industrial origins.

This event was organized in close coordination and cooperation with the MWRI and the EU delegation to Egypt and was attended by a number of Governors, the EU and other donors' representatives, in addition to a large group of experts and specialists in Water Resources Management, under the patronage and in the presence of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aty, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and Mr. Diego Escalona Paturel, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Egypt.

For more information:

European Union:

Program Manager: Dr. Ayman Ayad, Ayman.AYAD@eeas.europa.eu

Communication coordinator/ Acting Press Ms. Najlaa AbdelBary najlaa.abdel-bary@eeas.europa.eu

Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegation/egypt

Twitter: @EUinEgy

Facebook: http://ww.facebook.com/EUDelegationegypt

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1Me9-jssF56KKwzBh0_7w

   Project Team Leader:    Mr. Robert Smit , robert.smit@wur.nl