CAIRO: Irrigation Minister Hisham Qandeel said on Wednesday that any water agreements between Nile countries will not be signed without the consent of all parties. Addressing a session held on the sidelines of the sixth International Water Forum to issue the fourth UN World Water Development report in Marseilles, Qandeel said any Nile water agreement should further stress sustainable cooperation between Nile Basin countries to implement projects in the best interests of their peoples. Qandeel was present in discussions about the report, which focuses on water management as a key element in all fields of economic development, the statement said. The session touched on common water resources in the region and mechanisms of cooperation between its countries. Water management issues are a perpetual concern to Egypt, and are considered a matter of national security. Agreements on water sharing, particularly between Egypt and the Sudan, extend back to the colonial area in this region, and are frequently considered out-dated and irrelevant. While power-generating dam proposals upstream in fact reduce sediment and produce favorable results downstream, they are still resisted by larger nations like Egypt and the Sudan. Agriculture and livestock are a far greater threat. However, and on a positive note, there is a mechanism in place to address concerns and negotiate water-sharing policies, called the Nile Basin Initiative. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/bMwqq Tags: Egypt, featured, Nile Basin, water management Section: Egypt, Environment, Latest News
