Integrating Climate Action into Water Sector Planning in Egypt: Policy and Program Review
Keywords:
Egypt, Climate Change, Desalination, Wastewater, Nature-based SolutionAbstract
As a country located in arid and semi-arid regions, Egypt is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. These threats are exacerbated by rapid population growth and ambitious urban, agricultural, and industrial expansion plans, leading to water demand magnification, environmental instability, and economic constraints. Recently, addressing climate change impacts has become a major priority for the government and its affiliated institutions across multiple sectors. This study adopts a qualitative policy review approach to examine climate-related programs and initiatives implemented in Egypt’s water and wastewater sector between 2018 and 2023. The identified initiatives were analyzed and categorized according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) framework for climate adaptation and mitigation. The findings reveal a significant shift in planning and implementation within the Egyptian water sector toward integrating climate action into sectoral planning. Key actions include the expansion of rural sanitation services from 12.5% in 2014 to 60% in 2023, the increase of seawater desalination capacity from 82,000 m³/day in 2014 to about 1.4 million m³/day in 2023 with growing reliance on renewable energy, effective sewage sludge management producing clean energy and compost through 6 wastewater treatment plants generating biogas and the environmental reuse of treated wastewater. In addition, more than 1,000 flood protection structures have been constructed, and over 100 Water Safety Plans have been implemented across water supply systems to strengthen utility resilience. Together these measures represent a multidimensional response combining structural interventions, nature-based solutions and governance arrangements to enhance water system resilience.
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