CAIRO: Egypt is seeking greater cooperation with France to boost its water resources, as it attempts to mitigate the negative effects of climate change with partnerships across the globe.
This is according to Hani Sewilam, the country’s minister of water resources and irrigation, during his meeting with Marc Baretti, France’s ambassador, in Cairo on Tuesday.
Sewilam said Egypt has succeeded in placing water at the heart of global climate action through several international events including the Fifth Session of Cairo Water Week, the COP27 Climate Conference, and the UN 2023 Water Conference last March.
Sewilam and Baretti reviewed the proposed areas of cooperation including rehabilitating canals and infrastructure using environmentally friendly technologies, modern irrigation, desalination of water for food production, and the protection of beaches.
They discussed strengthening scientific cooperation between Egypt’s National Water Research Center and its French counterparts.
They also talked about France providing scholarships for Egypt’s engineers and researchers to undertake postgraduate study.
There were also discussions on enhancing cooperation in the field of training and capacity building for specialists in the field.
Sewilam said Egypt already offers several training programs for its people and citizens of other African nations.
He highlighted his meeting with Christophe Bechu, France’s minister of environment, on the sidelines of the UN 2023 Water Conference, held in New York in March, where they agreed to strengthen cooperation.
Sewilam said Egypt will host the sixth edition of the Cairo Water Week, titled “Action on Water Adaptation for Sustainability,” from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
