The European Union has announced it will make a contribution of US$95mn towards a water project titled Improved Water and Waste Water Services Programme, in Egypt
According to reports, the project will be built in two phases and is estimated to cost over US$1bn. The project aims to improve and expand existing water and wastewater treatment plants.
EU officials stated that the first phase of the project will provide water to 533,000 people and improve access to water to three million in Gharbeya, Sharqeya, Damietta and Beheira governorates. The second phase will cover Qena, Sohag, Assiut and Minya governorates in Upper Egypt to include, aiming to provide water to one million people and improve water services for four million people.
Currently, Middle East nations are highly water-stressed, stated reports. Risk management consultancy Maplecroft has shortlisted six GCC nations including Yemen and Egypt, as the most water-deprived countries in the world. Estimates have said that the region's power and water consumption is rising seven per cent annually.
The EU has reportedly committed to implementing various water sector projects across Egypt, which will benefit the Ministry of Housing and the holding company for water and waste water. The organisation is keen to establish an improved regulatory system and management resource process for drinking water quality reporting and auditing, customer services, water company performance measures, and licensing.
Last week, Egypt's Ministry of International Cooperation had signed a new agreement IWSP II, with a number of European bodies, which will supply Egypt with US$349mn to improve water and wastewater services for nearly 15.3 million Egyptians, stated reports. European bodies include the European Union (EU), German Development Bank (KFW), French Development Agency (AFD), European Investment Bank (AIB) and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
