CAIRO — Egypt’s Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources revealed May 2 four projects and plans to reduce water waste in the country, counter the growing need for water in the future and help mitigate the negative impact of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on its irrigation system.

Masrawy news portal quoted Mohamed Ghanem, spokesman for the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources, as saying that they have prepared for all potential scenarios, including worst-case scenarios, by adopting a good management system for every drop of water.

He noted that projects are currently underway as part of the plan, most notably the rehabilitation and lining of canals and drains at a cost of 80 billion Egyptian pounds ($5.1 million), and that the project will limit water loss and allow a better water flow.  

The second project, he said, is to build and maintain 92 highly efficient pumping and lifting stations, and the third consists of water treatment plants, similarly to the Bahr el-Baqar plant where 5 million cubic meters of water are treated daily, and the new el- Hamam plant which serves the New Delta projects with a capacity of 6 million cubic meters of water per day.