Egypt braces for third-stage filling of Nile dam
Egypt continues to implement projects for water management, although some say the third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will not affect Cairo’s water supply this year.
CAIRO — Before the start of the third-stage filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) reservoir and with the start of the planting season in the summer, Cairo is considering all scenarios related to water resources management for this year.
In a meeting with Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty on April 18, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi discussed the water situation in the country and water needs for the agricultural and drinking water projects.
Despite the strict measures adopted to optimize water use in the country, Egypt is facing new challenges imposed by the Russia-Ukraine war this year, namely meeting its local needs in grains amid the increasing local demand for rice and wheat with the population growth — knowing that these crops require large water quantities.
As part of its efforts to limit water waste, the Egyptian state issued a decision in March to limit the land surfaces planted with rice to 1.74 million feddans (1 feddan being equal to about 1.04 acres) in nine governorates only, announcing strict controls and penalties for any violations.
