Egyptian satellite will monitor water security, Renaissance Dam

CAIRO — The Egyptian government and research institutions are hanging great hopes on the expanded use of satellite technology for the development and monitoring of underground water supplies and coastal regions endangered by climate change. However, those efforts are still dependent on the availability of expertise and adequate financial resources to finance Egypt’s ambitious space program.

On April 14, the Egyptian government, in a statement obtained by Al-Monitor, announced the launch of its EgyptSat 2 satellite from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, bolstering Egypt’s presence in space. This comes in preparation for the establishment of the Egyptian Space Agency and the latter’s contribution to all areas of Egyptian development, including agriculture, industry, mining, urban planning, water, the environment and the early detection of natural hazards.