5 days ago
Egypt, Uganda strengthen water cooperation, address Nile governance
Egypt's Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Water Resources met on Tuesday with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to discuss bilateral water cooperation, ongoing development projects, and shared concerns over Nile River governance, the Ministry of Water Resources said.
The meeting was also attended by Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Oryem, and Minister of State for Environment, Beatrice Anywar.
Water Resources Minister Hani Sewilam praised the historic ties between Egypt and Uganda, emphasising the importance of closer coordination on sustainable water resource management to support both nations' development goals. He reiterated Egypt's stance on the Nile, stressing that all riparian states must respect international law on transboundary watercourses, with cooperation grounded in mutual benefit and legal frameworks as the basis for stability and prosperity.
Sewilam acknowledged Uganda's role in the consultative process among countries that have not ratified the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) and highlighted Egypt's $100m financing mechanism for infrastructure and development projects in southern Nile Basin states.
Talks reviewed joint initiatives, including the drilling of 75 groundwater wells and rainwater harvesting tanks in Ugandan districts, flood mitigation works in Kasese District completed in 2018, and the 25-year-old aquatic weed control programme in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga, and Albert, which has improved ecosystems and generated biogas from invasive plants.
The two sides are preparing to sign a new $6m memorandum of understanding on integrated water resources management under the Egyptian-led Nile Basin Development Initiative.
