- National Water Resources Policy 2017
- National Water Resources Plan 2017
- NWRP Committees
- NWRP National Conference
- NWRP Municipal and Industrial Survey
National Water Resources Policy….
Main Objectives
Egypt mainly depends on the river Nile for its water supply. Deep groundwater in Western Desert and Sinai constitutes less than 3% of the annual water budget. Rainfall and desalination exist in remote areas in small amounts. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) realized long time ago how important to have a national policy for water resources management. Beginning with the water policy in 1975, MWRI started to evaluate the situation of water supply and demand in future. In 1981 a water master plan was issued aiming at developing plans to meet the water requirements for agricultural growth and also studying the non-agricultural water demands. The last water policy “Main Features of Water Policy to 2017” was issued in January 2000. It followed an integrated approach in water resources management and took into consideration all water supplies and demands.
However, it was realized that upgrading this water policy to accommodate new changes and aspects in Egypt water system is required. These aspects include extending the approach of integrated water management ( IWRM) by making the plan a ”national” plan and not a plan of MWRI only, and incorporating institutional reform in order to improve the performance of public sector by involving the private sector. This requires stakeholder participation in all planning stages including decision-making.
Clear identification of the policy objectives is the main step in policy formulation. Two main objectives are considered economic development and social objectives. Economically, the development and use of the available water resources in general should contribute to the national economic growth. For the different economic sectors the aim is to use the water resources in an optimum way, enabling the increase in production (industry, agriculture, aquaculture) and to improve the conditions for other water using sectors (such as navigation and tourism). Socially, water should play a direct or indirect role to increase employment, improve equity in water distribution and farmers income, and attain some minimum level of food self-sufficiency.
To complement these two objectives, another two objectives are needed “meeting water needs” in the future and “protecting health and environment”. Matching the water supply and water demand is not an easy task since the water demands are increasing in all water using sectors while the water supply is limited. This situation urges all water users to improve water use efficiency and to follow a demand management approach to reduce water demands. Moreover, water resources could be consumed in quantity or quality by making it unfit for other uses. Consequently deterioration of water quality will have a serious impact on the overall water use efficiency. Thus, poor water quality has a direct impact on health and environmental conditions. Reduction in pollution loads entering the water system will improve the water related public health conditions, improve the sustainable use of groundwater resources, and contribute to meeting the water quality requirements of the various functions of the water system.
Additional two essential objectives are included, the first is financial objectives that aim at recovery of operational and maintenance costs to enable better services. The second is institutional objectives that include improving the capacity building, legal framework, and institutional reform.
The aim of this policy document is to combine the above objectives in order to get a sound integrated policy statements and actions. It is obvious that combining all these objectives will make it clear that choices should be made. It is impossible to achieve all these objectives at the same time. This calls for an integrated approach of water resources policy in which all objectives are taken into account.
Water Policy Approaches
Based on the above mentioned objectives, stakeholder objectives, and governmental objectives, a set of measures that constitute the strategy” Facing the Challenge” are identified. These measures have been classified according to their impacts on three categories, namely :
Making Better Use of Existing Resources.
Developing Additional Resources.
Protecting Public Health and Environment.
National Water Resources Plan (NWRP), Egypt….
NWRP Activities….
National Water Resources Plan …
Water is life. Water is also a limited resource that mankind should cherish. Water management aims to develop and protect the resource. In Egypt, being an arid country with nearly no rainfall, water management is of particular importance. Without a proper management, water will become a constraining factor in the socio-economic development of the country.
The government of Egypt is committed to develop and manage its water resources in the interests of all Egyptians. To this end the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) has since many years developed water policies and guidelines for this management. These policies and guidelines are dynamic in nature to allow for changing conditions. The underlying National Water Resources Plan provides an update of earlier policies and plans. The intention of this plan is to guide both public and private actions in the future for ensuring optimum development and management of water that benefits both individuals and society at large .It is based on the Integrated Water Resources Management approach, which makes this plan a real national plan and not only a plan of the MWRI. The policy aspects involved in this plan are highlighted in a separate Policy Document which will be discussed in Parliament and which will provide binding objectives and guidelines for all ministries and other governmental agencies.
- Integrated Water Resources Management
In common with current global thinking on how to solve present water resources problems, Egypt has adopted an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach. IWRM is defined as a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resulting economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
IWRM is based on several principles. Implementation of these principles is situation, culture and environment dependent. In the context of Egyptian water management the following principles are in particular important:
- Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and environment; it should be considered in a holistic way, simultaneously taking into account quantity and quality, surface water and groundwater; and
- Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policy-makers at all levels.
Adopting an IWRM approach means that this National Water Resources Plan is oriented at the socio-economic development goals of Egypt and, besides direct water needs, addresses also issues such as health, employment and general well-being of the people. Representatives of all relevant stakeholders have been involved in developing this plan, both at a horizontal level (the various ministries involved) as well as vertically (governorates, water boards, various user groups, etc.).
The growing population of Egypt and related industrial and agricultural activities have increased the demand for water to a level that reaches the limits of the available supply. The population of Egypt has been growing in the last 25 years from a mere 38 million in the year 1977 to 66 million in 2002 and is expected to grow to 83 million in the year 2017. The present population of Egypt is strongly concentrated in the Nile Valley and the Delta: 97% of the population lives on 4% of the land of Egypt. To relieve the pressure on the Nile Valley and Delta, the government has embarked on an ambitious programme to increase the inhabited area in Egypt by means of horizontal expansion projects in agriculture and the creation of new industrial areas and cities in the desert. All these developments require water.
However, the water availability from the Nile River is not increasing and possibilities for additional supply are very limited. Up till now Egypt had sufficient water available and the current management is very successful in distributing the water over all its users. Thanks to the enormous capacity of Lake Nasser to store water , the supply of water to these users is reaching its limits of available water this will not be possible anymore and Egypt will have to face variable supply conditions.
Moreover, the population growth and related industrial developments have resulted in a severe pollution of the water. This pollution is threatening public health and reducing the amount of good quality water even further. Major programmes are already being implemented to provide good drinking water to the population and to treat domestic and industrial sewage water. Still, those programmes are not sufficient yet and water quality in many areas is below standard.
The government of Egypt has to face these challenges. It will have to further develop its activities to improve the performance of the water resources system, to ensure that the national economic and social objectives are achieved and that environment and health are protected.
The Ministry of Water resources and Irrigation plays a key-role in the development and management of the water system in the country. This plan tries to achieve the national objectives by developing new water resources , improving the efficiency of the present use and to protect environment and health by preventing pollution and by treatment and control of polluted water .Many of these activities are carried out in cooperation with other ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communities, the Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Environment.
The main issue involved is how Egypt can safeguard its water resources in the future under the conditions of a growing population and a more or less fixed water availability. Assuming that all available additional resources will be developed, the main questions with respect to water quantity that have to be answered are:
- How can the efficiency of the various uses be increased?
- How can the agricultural expansion policies of the government be supported and what are the priorities and limitations in this expansion , given existing water resources, optimum efficiency and priority for drinking and industrial water use?
- How should Egypt manage its water resources system under variable supply conditions?
With respect to water quality, health and environmental aspects the key questions to be answered are as follows .
- What is the best mix of prevention, treatment and protection measures that results in a water quality that complies with reasonable standards?
- What is the level of investment needed to provide all people with safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities?
Implementation of the answers to these questions leads to the following institutional question:
- What institutional mechanisms should be developed that can best cope with the increased pressure on the water resources in the country?
- The strategy “Facing the Challenge “
The new policy is based on a strategy that has been called “Facing the Challenge” ( FTC). FTC includes measures to develop additional resources , making better use of existing resources, and measures in the field of water quality and environmental protection.
The possibilities to develop additional resources are limited. Deep groundwater withdrawal in the Western Desert can be developed up to an amount of 3.5 bcm/year, but , being fossil water, this is not a sustainable solution and should be carefully monitored . Small amounts of additional resources can be developed by rainfall and flash flood harvesting and the use of brackish groundwater. Co-operation with the riparian countries of the Nile Basin may eventually lead to additional inflow into Lake Nasser.
Measures to make better use of existing resources aim at improving the efficiency of the water resources system. It includes a careful re-evaluation of planned horizontal expansion projects and to consider a possible reduction in area in relation to the availability of water. The water use efficiency in agriculture can be improved by many measures, in particular by continuing the Irrigation Improvement Project (IIP)activities and to review the present drainage water reuse policy, e.g. by applying intermediate reuse and allowing higher salinity. Moreover, a different water allocation and distribution system that will be based on equity will decrease the losses in the system. To implement such a system and to improve operation and maintenance (O&M) it will be required to have a good institutional structure with strong Water Boards and Water Users Associations .The municipal and industrial water use efficiency can be improved by a mix of infrastructural and financial incentives or measures. Various research topics are formulated to identify further options to increase the efficiency of the system.
The strategy on protecting public health and environment includes several packages in which infrastructural, financial and institutional measures are combined. Priority is given to measures that prevent the pollution. This includes reduction of pollution by stimulating clean products and reallocation of certain industries. Agriculture will be encouraged to use more environmental friendly methods and products. If pollution can not be prevented, treatment is the next option. This includes treatment of municipal sewage and wastewater. Domestic sanitation in rural areas requires a specific approach. In both cases cost recovery is needed to maintain the services. The last resort will be to control the pollution by diverting the pollution away from urban or important ecological areas. Additional attention is required to protect sensitive areas, e.g. around groundwater wells and intakes of public water supply. The strategy also includes a number of general institutional measures. The initiated process of decentralization ( to Water Boards and Water User Associations) and privatization should be strengthened , including a restructuring of the role of MWRI, e.g.
by establishing integrated inspectorates in the Ministry . Cost-sharing and pricing mechanisms have to be implemented to make the changes sustainable, in particular with respect to operation and maintenance. The planning process at national level should be continued as a rolling exercise, including the improvement of data and information exchange among different authorities and the co-ordination of investments. Finally, the role of the real stakeholders in water resources management, i.e. farmers and citizens should be enhanced , to involve them better in the various water management tasks but also to strengthen their “ownership” feelings towards public property. The role of women in water management issues requires special attention.
- Expected results of the new National Water Resources Plan
Implementing the strategy “Facing the Challenge” will improve the performance of the water resources system. More water will be available for the various uses and the water quality will improve significantly. The agricultural area will increase by 35% as a result of horizontal expansion and the two mega projects in Toshka and Sinai. Living space in the desert will be created for more than 20% of the population as a result of these projects. The implementation of the strategy will support the socio-economic development of the country and provide safe drinking water to its population .The access of the population to safe sanitation facilities will double from the present 30% to 60%. Summarizing and as stated in the objectives, the strategy will safeguard the water supply up to the year 2017.
However, at the same time it should be realized that by implementing all these measures, in particular all the planned horizontal expansion projects, the water resources system has reached its limits of what it can support.
The strategy FTC follows an integrated approach to cope with this increasing pressure on the water resources system in Egypt and contains a wide range of measures and policy changes up to the year 2017. It is a real challenge to implement this strategy. Further development of the system after 2017 may require that some drastic policy decisions are made at the national level, e.g. accepting some limitations in growth of the agricultural sector and increasing the developments and corresponding employment in the industrial and services sectors. An increase in the Nile water supply will ease the situation somewhat and should be pursued. A limited increase is not unrealistic , either as a result of water conservation projects in Sudan , changes in reservoir operation of Lake Nasser or ( in the very long run) as a result of climate change.
The integrated approach of FTC assumes that all measures are indeed implement. Failure to implement some measures may have severe consequences for the overall strategy .This is in particular the case for the expected improvement of the water quality. An insufficient improvement of the water quality will mean that the increase in reuse of water will be much less than expected with the consequence that there will be less water available for agriculture, leading to less water available per feddan and a lowering of cropping intensities.
- How to implement the strategy
The strategy FTC will be implemented in the period till 2017. Many stakeholders are involved in this implementation process and the National Water Resources Plan provides the guidelines for this process. The actual implementation will be done by the various stakeholders. Their roles are clearly specified in a matrix in the implementation plan. They will translate FTC into concrete actions to be included in their regular 5-year and annual planning cycles .A National Water Council will monitor the progress and coordinate activities where needed. The total investments needed in FTC amounts to 145 BLE for the period 2003-2017. The major shares in this investment are taken by the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communities (63%) and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (32%). The private sector will take care of about 5% of these investments.
The total recurrent costs in the same period 2003-2017 are 41 BLE .These costs include the operation and maintenance costs of the system but exclude the personnel costs of the government agencies. The municipalities take by far the biggest share of the O&M costs(70%)for the operation and maintenance of the drinking water treatment plants and the waste water treatment plants. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation will cover 12 % while the private sector will take care of about 15%.
- Required institutional and social setting
Implementing the strategy FTC is much more than just applying some technical measures. Technical measures are needed and are very essential. Drinking water purification plants and wastewater treatment plants have to be built, the Irrigation Improvement Project(IIP) has to be continued and many other technical and managerial actions should be taken. However, these actions will only be effective and sustainable if they are placed in an institutional and social setting that supports these measures.
First of all a proper enabling environment is needed. This enabling environment is basically formed by the national and regional policies and legislation that enable all stakeholders to play their respective roles in the development and management of the water resources; and the fora and mechanism, including information and capacity building to facilitate and exercise stakeholder participation. The role of the government is crucial in this respect. The traditional prescriptive , central approach should be replaced by the creation of a framework within which participatory and demand-driven sustainable developments can take place. This includes decentralization and privatization while the national government would act more as regulator and controller. Water legislation should be developed to enable this changing role .Further development of Water Boards and Water Users Associations is important and will be pursued. Finally, the political will should be there to enforce these developments. Second, the institutional roles. In such a changing institutional environment the role and functions of the organizations at different levels should be clearly described. This includes the creation of effective co-ordination mechanisms between the different agencies and the development of financial structures that enable these agencies to perform their tasks efficiently. The Institutional Reform Unit established within MWRI will play a major role in this respect.
Finally, the more traditional management instruments will have to be developed further. This includes the technical and economic measures described above for developing new resources, making better use of existing resources and measures to protect health and environment. In addition this includes a continuous assessment of supply and demand and the further development of advanced research and a water resources knowledge base in the various ministerial research institutes.
National Water Resources Plan( NWRP), Egypt…
NWRP Activities….
NWRP Committees….
The NWRP has three committees.
The Advisory Committee
Which includes decision makers and experts at the MWRI
The Inter-Ministerial High Committee
Which includes very high level decision makers from the different ministries involved in water management and water use
The Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee
Which includes representatives at the technical level from the different ministries involved in water management and water use.
Involvement of Stakeholders
NWRP-project
Co-ordination framework
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National Water Resources Plan(NWRP),Egypt…
NWRP Activities….
NWRP National Conference…
The NWRP held a national conference under the supervision of his Excellency Dr. Mahmoud Abou-zeid, the minister of water resources and irrigation.
In the conference many interested parties were invited. Those parties include representatives of People’s Assembly, farmers, investors, ministries, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations and others.
National Water Resources Plan(NWRP), Egypt…
NWRP Activities…
NWRP Municipal and Industrial Survey…
A survey for municipal and industrial water requirements and wastewater disposal were conducted in year 2000. This survey included:
1- Municipal water treatment plants (Water treatment plants, Ground water wells, and compact units)
2- Municipal wastewater treatment plants
3-Untreated municipal wastewater
4-Industrial water uses and wastewater
The survey was held for the 26 governorates of Egypt. Each governorate has two reports (one for municipal water and wastewater and the other for industrial water and wastewater).
The reports can be obtained from the Ministry of Water resources and Irrigation, NWRP, planning sector.
Publications
LIST OF REPORTS PRODUCED WITHIN THE NWRP PROJECT
- Main Reports on Project Phases:
Inception Report, August 1999
Interim Report No. 1, May 2001
Interim Report No. 2, July 2002
TR 1: Socio-economic Background, July 1999
TR 2 : Aquifer Systems in Egypt (prepared by RIGW), April 1999
TR 3: Groundwater Models Developed by RIGW (prepared by RIGW), April 1999
TR 4: NWRP Decision Support System, August 1999
TR 5: Water Quality and Pollution Control, January 2000
TR 6:Fisheries and Water Resources, July 2000
TR 7:Task Force on the National Water Pollution Control Plan; Report of the Working Group on Criteria and Priorities, December 1999
TR 8: Crop Water Use and Water Balance in the Nile System, September 2000
TR 9: Groundwater Well Inventory in the Nile Valley and Delta, (prepared by RIGW) March 2000
TR 10: Water-related Health Hazards and Potential Measures, June 2000
TR 11: Towards Crop-based Water Charges- Suggestions for a Restart, July 2000
TR 12:Conjunctive Use of Groundwater and Surface Water in Egypt : a Review, November 2000
TR 13: Desalination in Egypt , November2000
TR 14: Water Resources in the Northwest Coast, Sinai and Eastern Desert, April 2001
TR 15: Groundwater in the Western Desert, June 2001
TR 16:Groundwater in the Nile Valley and Delta, June 2001
TR 17 : Stakeholders Involved in Municipal Water and Sanitary Drainage , Industrial Wastewater Fisheries, February 2001
TR 18 :Demand for Municipal and Industrial Water (Draft), May 2001
TR 19 :ASME, The Agricultural Sector Model for Egypt, May 2001
TR 20: Population and Tourism Projections, June 2001
TR 21: Impacts of Climate Changes on Egypt’s Water Resources System: a Review, June 2001
TR 22: Actor Analysis for Strategy Formulation Activities, July 2001
TR 23: Problem Analysis 2017, July 2002( Draft)
TR 24: Water Management Measures, Version 3.0, August 2003 (Draft)
TR 25: Future Water for Agriculture in the Nile system of Egypt, December 2002 (Draft)
- Summary of some of these reports are following:
TR 12 : Conjunctive Use of Groundwater and Surface Water in Egypt : a Review, November2000
TR 17: Stakeholders Involved in Municipal Water and Sanitary Drainage , Industrial Wastewater Fisheries, February 2001
TR 19:ASME, The Agricultural Sector Model for Egypt, May 2001
TR 20:Population and Tourism Projections, June 2001
TR 21: Impacts of Climate Changes on Egypt’s Water Resources System: a Review, June 2001
TR 22: Actor Analysis for Strategy Formulation Activities, July 2001
DP 1: Scenarios, Measures and Strategies, June 2000
DP 2: Reference Case 2017, June 2000
DP 3: Facing the Challenge, Outline of a Draft
WR1: Towards the Analysis Phase : Analysis Conditions and Concepts , Reports Workshop No. 1,Cairo, August 200
WR 2: Workshop on Fisheries and Water Resources, Cairo 9 April 2001,Workshop Report WR2
WR3 : Workshop on Agriculture in 2017, Cairo July 2001,Workshop Report WR3
WR4 : Workshop on Water Quality Issues of Drinking Water, Cairo, July 2001, Workshop Report No. WR4
WR5: Workshop on De-central Level Stakeholders Involvement ( Fayoum and Menya Governorates)in the Plan Preparation Phase of the NWRP project, Cairo,15 November 2001
WR6: Workshop on De-central Level Stakeholders Involvement ( Kafr El Sheikh, Beheira and Alexandria) in the Plan Preparation Phase of the NWRP project, Alexandria, 4 January 2002.
WR7: Workshop on Domestic Sanitation and Public Health, Cairo, 16 March 2002, Workshop Report WR7.
WR8: Workshop on Water for Agriculture , Ismailia, 9-10 April 2002, Workshop Report WR8
WR9: Workshop on Water Resources and Industry, Cairo, 2 July 2002, Workshop Report WR9
WR10:Proposed Strategy and Introduction to Implementation and Investment Plan, Cairo, April 2003, Workshop Report WR10
Conference Proceedings
Facing the Challenge, National Conference, Cairo, April 29, 2002.
Reports from Egyptian Consultants and Institutes, prepared for the NWRP project
- Drainage Research Institute (DRI):
Recalibration of SIWARE Model for Eastern Nile Delta, DRI/NWRP, February 2000
Rehabilitation of Subsurface Drainage Systems in Egypt, DRI/ NWRP, April 2000
Economics of Drainage in Egypt , DRI/NWRP, May 2000
Estimation of Reduction of Evaporation Losses from Fallow Lands through Better Land Management and Surface Drainage System, May 2000
Controlled Subsurface Drainage and Cultivation of Rice in Northern Delta as an Alternative to Suppress Salinity Problems, May 2000
Maximum Drainage Water Reuse and Minimum Drainage Water Outflow Quantities, November2000
Impact of Water Resources Plans on Quantity and Quality of the Irrigation Water and Drainage System in the Nile Delta Region , December 2002
Impact of Drainage Water Reuse Alternatives in the Nile Delta, April 2003
- Research Institute for groundwater ( RIGW ) :
Aquifer Systems in Egypt, April 1999( also published as NWRP Technical Report No. 2)
Groundwater Models Developed by RIGW, April 1999 ( also published as NWRP TR No.3)
Groundwater Well Inventory in the Nile Valley and Delta, March 2000
Groundwater Quality Issues, October 2000
Technical Report for the Nile Valley Regional Model, January 2001
Technical Report for the Nile Delta Regional Model (Draft), January 2001
Groundwater in the North Western Coast, February 2001
- Dr. Hanaa el-din Ismail Assem:
Fisheries and Water Resources; Follow-up Short Mission Mr. Hans Van Zon, Draft , March 2000
The Impact of Pollution in Delta Lakes, March 2000
- Nile Research Institute (NRI):
Hydrology and Water Quality for the Nile Decision Support System , June 2000
- E.A.P. Management Consultants :
The Role of Stakeholders in the NWRP project; Report on the Sixth Meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee for the National Water Resources Plan , April 1 , 2000
Identification and Analysis of Stakeholders Involved in Municipal Water and Sanitary Drainage , Industrial Wastewater and Fisheries, January 2001(also published as NWRP Technical Report No. 17)
- Darwish Consulting Engineers,
Fish Resources in the Egyptian Lakes, August 2000
Reports for various governorates on municipal water use and sanitary drainage
Reports on Industrial water and waste water
- Water Resources Research Institute( WRRI),
Potentiality of Surface and Groundwater Resources in Egypt, March 2001
- North South Consultants Exchange (NSCE)
Feasibility and Assessment of a Nationwide
Consultation Process, June 2002
Contact NWRP
National Water Resources Plan (NWRP), Egypt…
Contact…
National Water Resources Plan (NWRP),Egypt
:(202) 35449491, (202) 35449492
: (202)35449491
: nwrp1@mwri.gov.eg , nwrp2@mwri.gov.eg
