Amman: Minister of State for Military Production Salah Gombalat emphasized the significance of applying the water footprint concept to Egyptian products as a vital step toward enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian goods in both local and international markets. His remarks were made during a joint meeting with Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam and Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation headquarters in the New Capital. The meeting aimed to establish an integrated framework for sustainable water management in the industrial sector, improve water-use efficiency, and localize technologies related to water treatment and recycling within factories.According to State Information Service Egypt, Gombalat stated that, in alignment with the political leadership's directives to improve water-resource management and deepen local manufacturing, the Ministry of Military Production is leveraging the manufacturing, technological, and technical capabiliti es of its affiliated companies to support this critical initiative. He highlighted the ministry's active participation in water treatment and desalination projects, the expansion of local production of their components, and support for industrial facilities in adopting the latest water-saving systems and industrial wastewater recycling and reuse technologies.Gombalat stressed the necessity of strengthening water governance within industrial facilities by adopting accurate systems to measure and monitor water consumption throughout production processes. He called for expanding the use of closed-loop water systems to reduce losses, decrease dependence on new water sources, and ensure optimal use of water resources. Additionally, he affirmed the ministry's commitment to enhancing cooperation and integration with various state institutions in implementing priority national projects in line with Egypt Vision 2030.Minister Sewilam expressed gratitude to the ministers of military production and industry for thei r constructive cooperation on shared initiatives, emphasizing Egypt's commitment to integrating water sustainability considerations into industrial expansion plans. He noted that the state aims to support industrial development while treating water as a strategic resource that must be managed efficiently through technical and planning solutions that allow for industrial expansion while preserving water resources and maximizing economic returns from every cubic meter of water.Sewilam further stated that increasing the added value of water in the industrial sector supports the national economy, provided that the highest standards of efficiency are observed, losses are minimized, and water recycling is expanded within industrial facilities. He pointed out that Egypt's water needs exceed its available resources, making water reuse a cornerstone of the country's water-management system. Sewilam stressed the importance of ensuring water generated from various activities returns to the water cycle at quality level s consistent with legal and technical standards for efficient reuse.Industry Minister Khaled Hashem highlighted the industrial sector's role as a driver of sustainable development, emphasizing its responsibility to preserve natural resources and maximize their utilization. He mentioned the ministry's ambitious strategy to expand and localize Egypt's industrial base and its focus on rationalizing resource consumption through initiatives like the 'Industry Sun' program, which encourages factories to rely on solar energy and improve energy efficiency.Hashem also noted efforts to reduce water consumption in factories by promoting the use of closed-loop water systems and increasing demand for such technologies. He proposed forming a committee comprising representatives from the ministries of industry, water resources and irrigation, and housing to explore ways of reducing water consumption in factories.During the meeting, the ministers agreed to establish a joint working group from the three ministries to pr epare a comprehensive package for sustainable water management in the industrial sector. This package will include criteria for selecting project sites, determining water requirements, setting standards for efficient use, treatment, and recycling, developing licensing and monitoring mechanisms, and reviewing existing industrial models before applying the proposed framework more broadly.The meeting also reviewed the legislative and institutional framework governing water use in industrial activities, as well as progress made by technical working groups from the three ministries on issues such as the water footprint concept, closed-loop systems, Zero Liquid Discharge technologies, and mechanisms for applying these systems across various industries. Participants discussed regulating water-allocation requests for factories, establishing a unified review mechanism, enhancing coordination between water approvals and industrial licensing procedures, and ensuring investor compliance with measurement, treatment, and reuse systems, while linking license renewals to the results of technical and environmental assessments.