CAIRO — Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation organized Oct. 14-18 Cairo Water Week, marking the country's first international event to initiate a public debate about water scarcity risks and challenges in Egypt and the region.

The event was an important milestone for the Egyptian government, which succeeded in raising its concerns about water issues, such as water scarcity and the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Cairo Water Week included bilateral talks between Egyptian officials and international water organizations, research institutes and experts, including the European Union, United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, World Water Council, Stockholm International Water Institute and International Water Management Institute, and sessions that tackled several water issues, including the GERD case.

Experts from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation addressed the risks of climate change and called for financial and technical support for programs to counter those risks in Egypt. In addition, they warned against social risks and political repercussions of the ongoing disputes with the eastern Nile Basin countries over the GERD case. The government also talked about coordination projects with Nile Basin countries under Egyptian auspices, such as the navigational line to connect Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean.