Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy said Egypt is planning to launch a number of water and irrigation-related projects in South Sudan's Bahr al-Ghazal area and in the swamps in the south of the country, aimed at saving rainwater, improving agriculture and rebuilding the Jonglei Canal, once the security situation in South Sudan is stabilized.
During the 55th session of the Nile water Permanent Joint Technical Commission held on Saturday, Moghazy spoke of the irrigation-related challenges facing Egypt and urged the parties to preserve water resources through a number of development projects.
In a related context, a team of Egyptian experts is scheduled to head to Khartoum to discuss matters related to bilateral cooperation in agriculture and irrigation, as agreed with the Sudanese agriculture minister last week. According to Moghazy, Sudan will allocate additional 200,000 feddans to Egypt for cultivation and agricultural projects that guarantee food security for both countries.
Regarding Renaissance Dam negotiations, Moghazy said agreements with two consulting companies will be signed to carry out the necessary impact studies by the end of May. The companies, one from and Netherlands and the other one from France, will present their joint technical offer to the Ethiopian, Egyptian and Sudanese ministers on May 11, instead of on May 4.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
