dws-alterra-egypt-assuit-agri-770px
A consortium of consultancy Euroconsult Mott MacDonald, consultancy Nelen & Schuurmans, research centre Alterra Wageningen UR, and Capacity Building International (Egypt) recently won a 2 million euro contract from the European Union to support the Egyptian government in the second phase of their National Water Resources Plan.

The objective of this project is to support the important reform programme of the Egyptian water sector.

Other related projects in Egypt
According to Wouter Wolters of Alterra the new project fits in well with other water and climate related projects: "We are already involved with Euroconsult Mott MacDonald, Deltares and some local Egyptian consultants in the Enhanced Water Resources Management Project." 

That project started in January 2014 and has a duration of 2.5 years. It is co-funded by the World Bank and builds on the synergy between water management improvements as identified in the various World Bank financed programmes.

dws-alterra-egypt-iwrm2-satellite-350pxFirst plan in 2005
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) has issued its first National Water Resources Plan in 2005, in which Wouter Wolters was also involved: "This plan laid out the features of strategies, measures and executive plans till the year 2017. The plan was based on the concept of integrated water resources management and was developed in close cooperation with other concerned ministries and a wide range of stakeholders."

Update with a long-term vision
The specific objectives of the second phase of the National Water Resources Plan includes an update of the existing National Water Resource Plan (which ends in 2017) and an extension into the framework of the 2050 vision.

It also includes the development of regional water resource plans in 6 governorates with sustainable water management, the protection of public health and the environment, and ensuring the economic activity benefits for all Egyptian people.

The first phase of the project has already started in January and has a contractual duration of 2 years. Alterra will provide the team leader and various ‘non-key experts’.

Potential constraining factor
In Egypt, being an arid country largely depending on the Nile flows, water management is of particular importance. Without a proper management water will soon become a constraining factor in the socio-economic development of the country.

Therefore 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.

This news item was originally published on the website of Wageningen University/Alterra.

Also read on this website
Wageningen Greenhouse Horticulture explores automated water saving irrigation in Egypt, 25 January 2015
Egypt and the Netherlands sign MoU for five year cooperation on water resource management, 3 November 2014
Euroconsult Mott MacDonald to study interactions of water, food, energy nexus in Egypt, 7 April 2014
Alterra: Use of brackish water for potato cultivation in Egypt, 14 August 2013
Countries: Egypt

More information
Alterra Wageningen UR
Wageningen, the Netherlands
+31 317 480700
www.wageningen.nl/alterra

Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
Arnhem, the Netherlands
+31 26 357 71 11
www.mottmac.nl

Nelen & Schuurman
Utrecht, the Netherlands
+31 (0) 30 233 02 00
www.nelen-schuurmans.nl