Egypt is planning to include the water issue among the top items for international climate action during the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27), which it will host in Sharm el-Sheikh in November on behalf of African countries. 

The move to include the water issue on the conference’s agenda comes within the framework of Egypt’s policy to adapt and reduce the negative effects of climate change on water resources, especially the Nile waters flowing from outside its border.

“Egypt puts water issues at the top of the climate action agenda in order to come up with recommendations that would speed up measures to adapt and mitigate climate change and provide the necessary funds for these projects,” Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Swailem said in his opening speech at the Environment and Development 2022: The Road to Sharm El-Sheikh COP27 forum held in Cairo on Sept. 11. 

“The world is experiencing extreme climatic phenomena that have negatively affected the global water sector, including droughts in Europe and China, frost in Brazil and floods in Saudi Arabia. This requires including water issues in the global climate agenda to enhance the countries’ ability to deal with water issues in a way that achieves water-related sustainable development goals, especially in Africa,” he added.