Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdul Muttalib headed the fourth meeting for the Egyptian-Dutch Advisory Panel for Water Management and Drainage (APP) on Sunday. Gerard Steeghs, the Dutch Ambassador to Egypt, attended the meeting along with representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. The chairman of the National Water and Sanitation Company was also present during the meetings in addition to a number of parliamentary figures. APP Secretary General Samia Al-Gendy said that the meeting, held in Aswan on 16 and 17 March, will review the studies conducted on forming fish harms using saline groundwater, particularly in the desert and the new reclaimed lands. The meeting will also discuss how Egypt can benefit from Dutch expertise in establishing low-cost and easily maintained wastewater treatment units. On 10 March, Abdul Muttalib signed a joint technical cooperation programme contract with his Ugandan counterpart Ephraim Kamuntu during the former's visit to Uganda. The programme plans to drill a total of 75 water wells in 23 districts, which will provide water to 3,500 Ugandan families. During his visit, the Egyptian minister attended the opening ceremony of the first 10 water wells in the 4 districts of Wakiso, Luweero, Mukono and Bukwa.
