Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sweilam met with Dutch Ambassador to Cairo Peter Mollema to strengthen bilateral ties in water management, according to a statement from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. The discussions highlighted the achievements of 50 years of Egypt-Netherlands cooperation in the water sector, which began with the creation of their joint advisory council in 1975. The two sides also reviewed the outcomes of the 8th Cairo Water Week, where they celebrated the longstanding partnership in water management and coastal protection. As part of their ongoing collaboration, Egypt and the Netherlands renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Egypt-Netherlands High-Level Water Committee. This MoU aims to advance joint efforts in water resource management, coastal zone management, and climate change adaptation, key areas of focus in both countries' environmental strategies. Additionally, preparations are underway for a new MoU between Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and Dutch development financier Invest International. The goal is to conduct a feasibility study on using environmentally friendly beach nourishment techniques to protect Egypt's Mediterranean coastline. The study will focus on identifying "hotspots" along the coast that are most vulnerable to erosion, building on a sand sources assessment presented during Cairo Water Week. The meeting also touched on the progress of the "Irrigation Modernization to Improve Smallholders' Livelihoods in Upper Egypt" project, which is being implemented in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and funded by the Dutch government. Both parties emphasized the importance of accelerating the project's implementation according to the established timelines. Further discussions centered on the success of the Water-JCAR applied research program, a joint initiative between Egypt and the Netherlands. Minister Sweilam expressed interest in launching a second phase to continue research cooperation and leverage the studies already completed. While financial details were not disclosed, the statement underscored that future cooperation priorities would focus on securing water resources, enhancing coastal protection, and improving rural livelihoods, particularly in the face of climate change impacts.
