Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam participated on Monday, September 8, 2025, in the celebration of the “High-Level Strategic Dialogue for the Preparation of the Eighth Cairo Water Week 2025,” which was organized in collaboration between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the European Union.
In his speech at the event, Dr. Sewilam expressed his gratitude to Ms. Angelina Eichhorst, the EU Ambassador to Egypt, and all the attendees. He also extended his greetings to development partners, particularly the European Union, for all forms of joint cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in various fields and international events, most notably the Cairo Water Week.
Dr. Sewilam pointed out that the Cairo Water Week serves as an important platform for dialogue, innovation, and efforts to serve water and exchange experiences among countries in achieving water security and sustainability, as well as resilience in the face of climate change. He noted the evolution of the Cairo Water Week over the past years, transforming it into a forum that brings together policymakers, scientists, development partners, private sector leaders, and young innovators.
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He reviewed the achievements during the Cairo Water Week 2024, which saw a record number of delegations representing governments, international organizations, financial institutions, the private sector, academia, and civil society, reflecting the scale of global challenges in the water sector and the trust the world places in Cairo as a hub for meaningful and constructive dialogue. The Cairo Water Week 2024 hosted a rich programme of high-level dialogues and technical sessions, including “Solar-Powered Desalination Dialogue for Irrigation under the AWARe Initiative,” “Egyptian-Dutch Water Committee,” “African Hydrological Dialogue” organized by the World Meteorological Organization, and “Roundtable on Expectations for the UN Water Conference 2026,” which brought together decision-makers, ministers, and experts to develop advanced strategies on water governance, technology, and resilience.
The “Fifth Annual Conference on Water Financing and Investment” and the “Second Water Business Forum between the EU and Egypt,” which highlighted the private sector’s role in supporting water security, were also hosted. Additionally, the “UNESCO Nexus Hackathon” and “EU Aqua Dialogues” on youth and entrepreneurship were organized, showcasing the need to empower young minds with the right tools and opportunities.
During the Cairo Water Week 2024, several agreements were signed, including a “Memorandum of Understanding between Egypt and Nigeria for Cooperation in Water Resource Management,” a “Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and ICARDA to Enhance Agricultural Water Solutions,” and a “Memorandum of Understanding between Egypt and the Netherlands to Enhance Cooperation in Water Management and Climate Change Adaptation.
” The “Launch of the Water Partnership Programme between Egypt and the European Union for the period 2024-2025” and a “€7 million agreement with the European Union under the Green Europe Mechanism” were also announced.
In October of this year, the Eighth Cairo Water Week will kick off under the theme “Innovative Solutions for Climate Resilience and Water Sustainability,” focusing on climate change, which has become a pressing reality closely linked to water issues, amid rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and devastating floods. The week will be held under the umbrella of five main axes: (Cooperation for Sustainable Water Management – Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change and Building Resilience – Innovations for Flexible Water Resource Management – Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Water Systems and Ecosystem Protection as a Tool for Water Protection – Infrastructure Asset Management for Sustainability).
The Eighth Cairo Water Week will also host many significant events, including the “Meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Water Council,” the “37th General Assembly of the Islamic Network for Water Resource Development and Management,” the “Joint Ministerial Meeting on Water and Agriculture for the Arab League,” the “50th Anniversary Celebration of UNESCO’s International Hydrology Programme,” the “Sixth Annual EU Conference on Water Financing and Investment,” and the “Water Investment Forum between the EU and Egypt.”
Dr. Sewilam also pointed out the challenges Egypt faces due to limited water resources, as Egypt is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, with per capita water share not exceeding 560 cubic meters annually, significantly lower than the global water poverty line of 1,000 cubic meters.
This has prompted the ministry to implement a comprehensive development process for the water system under the umbrella of the second generation of the irrigation system 2.0, which focuses on enhancing reliance on scientific research and innovation in the field of irrigation, integrating smart technologies, satellite monitoring, and smart irrigation in water management, and expanding the use of treated agricultural drainage water.
On a global scale, according to estimates by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), developing countries will need more than a trillion dollars annually by 2030 to adapt to climate change, nearly half of which is directed towards water investments.
The financing gap in Africa for the water sector alone is estimated to be around $30-50 billion annually, necessitating countries to devise strong strategies and innovative solutions while enhancing international partnerships to secure the funding needed to address water and climate challenges.
Egypt has been keen to strengthen its international cooperation, as reflected in the launch of the “Water Declaration between Egypt and the European Union,” which represents a shared understanding of the water challenge and a joint commitment to action, investment, and cooperation.
In her speech at the event, Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst mentioned, “The European Union prides itself on its partnership as a co-organizer of the Cairo Water Week since its inception in 2018, and has believed from day one in Cairo’s ability to host the most interactive platform in the region, where policies meet needs by providing practical and realistic solutions to the challenges of the water sector in the region. Today, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to this path.”
She added that the theme of this year sends a clear message: innovative solutions for enhancing resilience in the face of climate change and ensuring the sustainability of water resources. Our shared mission is to transform ideas into investable projects, moving from experimental initiatives to integrated programmes, and from weeks of dialogue to years of actual implementation.
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