Hani Sweilem, Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, attended the centenary celebration of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) on Wednesday, where he was joined by DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee, Cairo Regional Office Director Wibke Bachmann, and German Deputy Ambassador Andreas Fiedler. During the event, Sweilem congratulated DAAD on its 100 years of fostering global academic exchange, particularly its more than six decades of impactful work in Egypt. He praised the service's contributions to strengthening scientific cooperation and supporting education, emphasizing the long-standing resilience and success of Egyptian-German collaboration in education, science, and innovation. In his address, the minister drew attention to Egypt's growing water crisis. With a per capita water share of just 560 cubic meters annually—far below the internationally recognized threshold for water scarcity—Egypt faces significant challenges in managing its water resources. The country is also heavily dependent on the Nile, with over 98% of its water supply originating outside its borders. Combined with a rapidly increasing population and the growing impacts of climate change, these pressures have made securing water and food resources a top priority for the Egyptian government. Sweilem outlined the government's response to these challenges, introducing "Irrigation System 2.0," a forward-looking strategy designed to address Egypt's water scarcity through innovation, digitalization, and climate adaptation. The strategy is built around nine main pillars, including the expanded reuse of drainage water, desalination projects, smart water management through data and satellite technology, eco-friendly infrastructure, and global partnerships. The minister emphasized the importance of human capital in driving these initiatives. He highlighted the selection of young ministry staff to lead the implementation of the strategy. He spoke about efforts to equip engineers and researchers with cutting-edge skills in remote sensing, smart irrigation systems, and artificial intelligence-driven water modeling. Sweilem also recognized DAAD's continued support for Egypt's water sector, noting that the service provides valuable postgraduate opportunities, joint research collaborations, and specialized training programs for Egyptian water professionals. This collaboration, he said, plays a crucial role in building the knowledge and expertise needed to address Egypt's complex water challenges. The event marked not only a celebration of DAAD's century of academic exchange but also underscored the importance of international cooperation in tackling global challenges such as water scarcity, environmental sustainability, and climate change. Sweilem's remarks highlighted Egypt's commitment to leveraging innovation and global partnerships to ensure water and food security for future generations.
