World Water Day.. New initiatives to support water resources in Egypt

In the context of escalating global efforts to promote sustainable management of natural resources, the water issue is emerging as one of the most important development challenges of the twenty-first century, especially in countries facing increasing water pressures such as Egypt.

Hence, the celebration of World Water Day 2026 is gaining momentum, reflecting a growing international trend towards linking water resources management with issues of social justice and women’s empowerment, as two essential elements for achievingSustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this context, this year’s celebration of World Water Day came, which included new initiatives in the fields of water resources in Egypt and the economic empowerment of women. This is what we highlight in the following lines: So keep reading.

Water Resources in Egypt

Within the framework of World Water Day, Dr. Hani Sweilem, “Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation,” witnessed a celebration organized by the Ministry in cooperation with the European Union Mission in Egypt. The celebration was held under the slogan “The Role of Water in Achieving Gender Equality.” This is in order to support water resources in Egypt.

Dr. Manal Awad, “Minister of Local Development and Environment”, Eng. Khaled Hashem, “Minister of Industry”, Mr. Hassan Raddad, “Minister of Labour”, Dr. Sherif Farouk, “Minister of Supply”, Dr. Hala Al-Saeed, “Advisor to the President of the Republic for Economic Affairs”, along with Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, “Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt”, and a number of government and academic leaders participated in the event. And media.

“Giving back” to empower women economically

Among the events witnessed in the World Water Day celebration was the launch of the “Ward Al Khair” initiative to empower women in the field of water and water hyacinth recycling, which aims to transform an environmental challenge into a sustainable economic opportunity, by training rural women to recycle the water hyacinth plant, and then transform it into various handmade products.

The initiative aims to link the rational management of water resources in Egypt and the economic and social empowerment of women, which contributes to providing sources of income for the most needy families, while enhancing the environmental benefit from the plant, which was considered one of the environmental challenges in waterways.

The celebration also witnessed the organization of an open dialogue entitled “Water as a Path to Women’s Empowerment,” in which a number of women participated, who presented their experiences and success stories in transforming water hyacinths into craft products after obtaining the necessary training.

The second generation of the water system in Egypt 2.0

At the World Water Day celebration to support water resources in Egypt, the Minister of Irrigation reviewed the features of the second generation of the water system in Egypt (2.0), which relies on modern technology and scientific research to maximize the benefit from limited water resources, in addition to developing the capabilities of cadres working in the sector, and enhancing citizens’ awareness of water issues.

Then Dr. Hani Sweilem explained that this new generation is based on ten main axes, including:

• Water Treatment and Desalination
• Smart Management
• Digital Transformation
• Infrastructure rehabilitation
• Adaptation to climate change
• Strengthening Governance
• Human Resources Development
• Control of the Nile River and its branches
• Community Awareness
• External work

Digitizing waterways and enhancing water governance

Also, the Minister reviewed the results of the high-level workshop on developing a roadmap for the water system 2.0, which resulted in the identification of a number of priority projects, including the project to digitize private waterways, and the study of artificial charging of groundwater reservoirs in the West Delta region, in partnership between the public and private sectors.

In a related context, Dr. Hani Sweilem indicated that the first phase of the project to digitize private waterways witnessed the entry of data on more than 20,000 waterways with a total length of approximately 16,000 kilometers, through a specialized digital platform that was developed, in cooperation between the Ministries of Water Resources, Irrigation, Agriculture, and Land Reclamation.

He explained that this platform contributes to enabling concerned parties to monitor the condition of waterways, identify sites that need disinfection work, in addition to supporting plans to develop undeveloped waterways, and enhancing the role of water user associations in managing water resources.

International partnerships to support water management in Egypt

For her part, Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, confirmed that cooperation between Egypt and the European Union in the field of water management represents a model for effective international partnerships, noting that empowering women in the water sector is an essential factor for promoting innovation, building resilience, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

So, the celebration of World Water Day – and the initiatives that follow – reveal an important shift in the philosophy of water resources management in Egypt, by focusing on the technical treatment of crises, and adopting a comprehensive development approach that links the environment, the economy, and social justice. Because when an environmental challenge such as water hyacinth turns into an opportunity for production and employment, water management becomes an entry point for preserving natural resources, an opportunity to enhance the economic empowerment of women, and achieve more sustainable local development.

Through international partnerships and policy integration between ministries, it appears that the second generation of the water system in Egypt – according to the vision ofHamat Al-Earth Foundation– seeks to build an integrated model for water resources management, a model that balances water security and social and economic development at the same time.