Irrigation Min Stresses Importance Of Technical Cooperation Among African Countries in Water Field
During a meeting with a delegation from the Committee on Agriculture and Environment of Namibia's National Council, led by Paulus N. Mbangu, Member of Parliament and Deputy Chair of the Committee, the minister said, all efforts contribute to the advancement of Africa's Agenda 2063, under the vision of 'The Africa We Want'.
The meeting was also attended by Abdel-Salam al-Gebaly, Chairman of the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee of the Egyptian Senate, the committee's deputy chairman Mohamed el-Sebaey and Noha Zaki, Secretary of the Senate's Energy, Environment and Manpower Committee, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Sewilam reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to strengthening its cooperation with Namibia under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in November 2023, which focusing on sustainable management and development of water resources.
Meantime, the minister underscored the importance of ongoing efforts to develop joint projects aligned with the shared priorities of both countries, particularly in the areas of groundwater management and coastal protection.
He also underlined the opportunities available for Namibia to benefit from capacity-building programs and training courses provided by the Pan-African Center for Water and Climate Adaptation (PACWA).
The minister outlined principal challenges facing Egypt's water sector, including limited water availability, rapid population growth and the detrimental effects of climate change.
In response to these challenges, Egypt has accelerated its initiatives to treat and reuse wastewater for agricultural purposes, adopting this as a strategic approach to narrow the gap between constrained water resources and increasing demand, he further noted.
Egypt has expanded reliance on treatment and reuse of agricultural drainage water to reduce the gap between available water resources and demand, as well as to import agricultural crops from abroad equivalent to 33.5 billion cubic meters of water annually, said the minister.
He also pointed out to the necessity of shifting to modern irrigation systems due to their role in rationalizing water consumption, increasing crop productivity, and improving quality, while the ministry continues to monitor farmers' compliance with using modern irrigation systems in sandy lands.
Sewilam underscored the essential role of transitioning to modern irrigation systems, emphasizing their significant contribution to water conservation, boosting crop productivity, and enhancing the quality of agricultural output.
He said his ministry is actively monitoring farmers' compliance with modern irrigation practices, especially in sandy and reclaimed lands, to ensure the efficient use of water resources.
The minister highlighted the critical role of scientific research, innovation, and advanced technology in effective water management, stressing the need to strengthen collaboration between Egypt's National Water Research Center (NWRC) and relevant research institutions in Namibia.
It is noteworthy that the Namibian delegation is visiting Egypt to draw upon its pioneering expertise in water management and agricultural development.
During their visit, the delegation toured the NWRC, the Irrigation Museum and the Water Science Cultural Center in Qanater al-Khayriya, as well as an exemplary modern irrigation project along the Mansouriya Canal in Giza governorate.
The visit also included a meeting with local water users' associations in the region.
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