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WATER POLITICS

Via Global Water Intelligence, an article on Egypt’s ambitious desalination plans:

The minister responsible for Egypt’s water infrastructure has said the country plans to build 1 million m3/d of seawater desalination capacity over the next five years alone as the country looks to make coastal areas independent from the Nile water supply.

Housing minister Moustafa Madbouly said at least 16 plants would be built or upgraded over the period, although a large volume has already been contracted – 2016 saw the busiest year for desalination awards in the country’s history. The scale of the plants being built has also grown. Prior to 2016, there were no desalination plants in Egypt with a capacity in excess of 100,000m3/d; since then, three plants of this size have been contracted.

Water supply in Egypt has become a hot button issue as a result of the ongoing dispute with upstream countries over access to water from the Nile.