Cairo: Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilam affirmed that Egypt is making significant efforts to implement projects and adopt policies aimed at addressing climate change challenges and combating desertification, especially amid the increasingly evident impacts of climate change on the water sector, which directly affect citizens' lives and livelihoods. The Minister made the remarks during a meeting with Yasmine Fouad, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi, expert from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting aimed to explore ways to enhance cooperation between Egypt and the United Nations in implementing effective measures to combat desertification, adapt to climate changes, and its impact on the water sector. The meeting tackled measures to improve water use efficiency in order to achieve sustainable agriculture in areas affected by desertification and suffering from water scarcity. They also reviewed preparations for implementing a regional water desalination project for intensive food production under the umbrella of the International Adaptation to Climate Change Initiative (AWARe), in cooperation with the UNDP, involving four Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco.

Sweilem highlighted the importance of moving toward desalination for intensive food production and enhancing water use efficiency to support sustainable agriculture, in line with the declaration from the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), held in Saudi Arabia in December 2024. This contributes to achieving food security in countries facing water scarcity. The minister emphasized the importance of implementing regional desalination projects for intensive food production with the participation of numerous Arab and African countries, to contribute to food security while enhancing cooperation, exchanging experiences, and sharing successful practices among countries and various institutions in this field.