Cairo Water Week: Challenges and opportunities

The fourth edition of the Cairo Water Week (CWW) was held in the capital of egypt from 24 to 28 October, with the participation of ministers, official delegations, senior officials in the water sector, scientists, international organisations, and leading financial institutions, as well as civil society organisations and NGOs.The participants discussed policies appropriate to water-scarce countries for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advances in water management, governance, and strategic planning. Wastewater reuse and water recycling for agriculture in Egypt as well as various means of financing water projects were also highlighted at the event.In opening the week, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi stressed that this year’s CWW, entitled “Water, Population, and Global Changes: Challenges and Opportunities”, comes at a time when the world is witnessing rapid changes affecting water resources, making them one of the most pressing international challenges.

“This affects the ability of countries to meet the water needs of their people, which turns the management of water resources into a challenge that affects the security and safety of all countries,” Al-Sisi said, adding that Egypt has drawn up a strategic plan for managing its water resources until 2037 at an estimated cost of $50 billion. This figure could be doubled, the president said.