Water Scarcity

in Egypt
By Hailey Kurth
Table of Contents
01 02 03
Introduction Causes Problems

04 05 06
Fieldwork Recommendations Conclusion
01.
Introduction
What are the key issues
behind water scarcity in
Egypt, and can this
problem be solved?
What is Water
Scarcity?
Water scarcity means scarcity in availability due
to a physical shortage of water or scarcity in
access due to the failure of institutions to ensure
a regular supply or due to a lack of adequate
infrastructure.

Egypt is currently facing the problem of water

scarcity due to many reasons some being the
misuse of resources, uneven water distribution
and inefficient irrigation techniques.
110-115 billion cubic meters
Egypt’s yearly water consumption

55.5 billion cubic meters

The amount of water the Nile provides to Egypt every year

560 cubic meters per person

The current amount of water Egypt has per person per year.
This is around 150,000 gallons or 567,812 liters of water
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/359272/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-water-challenges-Beyond-the-dam-saga-.aspx
02.
Causes
Population
Growth
- Egypt’s population is growing at about 2%
per year
- Egypt’s population is over 100 million
- This has increased the stress on the water
supply due to more domestic consumption
- Also has increased stressed on the water
supply due to the increased use of
irrigation practices because of higher food
demand
- By 2025 Egypt’s water supply is expected to
drop below 500 cubic meters per person
Agriculture
- Many farmers in Egypt still use flood
irrigation which is an outdated method that
uses a large, unnecessary amount of water
- They also use pesticides which runoff into
the Nile
- Agricultural is 11% of Egypt’s GDP, but uses
over 85% of Egypt’s freshwater supply
Pollution &
Climate Change
- Pollution in the water makes it unusable
and treating it more complicated
- A rise in temperatures causes water
evaporation
- Lake Nasser
- Aswan High Dam
- Rise in temperatures and more frequent
heat waves are also causing farmers to use
more water for less land
https://www.ecomena.org/egypt-water/
Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam
- Egypt’s Nile share according to the 1959
treaty is 55.5 billion cubic meters per year

- The Nile is Egypt’s main source of water

with 90% of their supply coming from it

- Ethiopia’s refusal to make agreements

while continuing to fill their dam puts Egypt
at risk for losing a large portion of its Nile
share
03.
Problems
Problems Caused by Water Scarcity

Agriculture Economics Health

Agriculture is the most Egypt will experience price
vulnerable sector to shocks due to the need to
changes in water import more food and water
availability. as this issue continues to
grow.
Pollutants and metals found
in the Nile are a health risk
to not only marine life but
the people as well.
04.
Fieldwork
05.
Recommendations
Policies
- Egypt has been encouraging farmers to switch to more efficient irrigation
practices, such as drip irrigation.
- Egypt also recently began fining farmers who are using inefficient irrigation
practices
- However, there have been reports that the fines are not being enforced
- In 2017, Egypt launched the National Water Resources Plan in which they plan
to invest 50 billion dollars into by 2037
- Egypt is also investing 2.8 billion dollars to increase in desalination capacity
- Egypt is currently constructing 19 additional desalination plants for around
7.9 billion LE
- There are also plans to quadruple the amount of treated wastewater which is
estimated to increase available water by 5%
My Recommendations

Diversify/Subsidies
Egypt should work on diversifying its
economy because it cannot keep
sustaining agriculture as a main
source of employment in rural areas.
Subsidies to help mitigate the effects
of price shocks, especially in rural
areas.
Desalination
Desalination of seawater has been
referred to as “one of the best, most
effective, and quickest” ways for Egypt
to overcome the water shortage.
06.
Conclusion
 Egypt needs to act quickly to find and
create additional sources of water,
especially with their current share of the
Nile at risk, to keep up with the growing
economy and population.
Resources
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/egypt-has-a-water-problem-and-no-its-not-only-the-gerd/
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/02/egypt-fines-farmers-waste-water-gerd-talks.html
https://cee.mit.edu/egypt-could-face-extreme-water-scarcity-within-the-decade-due-to-population-and-economic-growth/
https://www.ecomena.org/egypt-water/
https://timep.org/explainers/dual-threats-water-scarcity-and-rising-sea-levels-in-egypt/
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/110510/Water-scarcity-climatic-change-worsen-situation-in-Egypt-Minister
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/11/water-crisis-builds-in-egypt-as-dam-talks-falter-temperatures-rise
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/359272/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-water-challenges-Beyond-the-dam-saga-.a
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