Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly speaks during the closing session of the 8th Cairo Water Week. Photo courtesy of Egyptian cabinet.
Speaking at the closing session of the 8th Cairo Water Week — held under the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi under the theme “Innovative Solutions for Climate Adaptation and Water Sustainability” — Madbouly stressed that Egypt will continue to defend its water rights “by all legitimate means” while remaining committed to cooperation based on international law.
“Water security is not an area for political experimentation or bargaining. Any belief that Egypt’s historical and legal rights can be compromised is pure delusion. The Nile for Egypt is a matter of existence that allows no room for compromise,” Madbouly asserted.
The prime minister’s remarks came amid continued tensions over Ethiopia’s unilateral policies on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Cairo views as a direct threat to its vital water share, especially after its official inauguration last month that caused man-made floods in Egypt and Sudan.
Egypt and Sudan have long demanded that Ethiopia sign a legally binding agreement on the dam's filling and operating policies.
Madbouly condemned what he described as a “unilateral narrative” promoted by one party — in reference to Ethiopia — to justify policies that contradict international law and ignore the principles of transparency and coordination among Nile Basin states.
“Despite the Nile Basin receiving over 1,660 billion cubic meters of rainfall annually, only about 84 billion cubic meters reach the downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan — a mere 5 percent of the total. Yet, instead of cooperation, a party continues to propagate misleading notions about ownership of the river and its sources,” he said.
He dismissed the idea of “percentage-based contributions” to Nile water as scientifically and legally baseless, emphasizing that “the river grants its flow to all through a natural, interconnected system governed by hydrology, not political rhetoric.”
Madbouly highlighted that Egypt faces complex water challenges, relying on the Nile for more than 98 percent of its renewable water resources amid rapid population growth and dwindling per capita water availability below the global water scarcity threshold.
Despite these pressures, he said, Egypt has implemented one of the world’s most ambitious water management programs, including major reuse projects and high-capacity treatment plants — the largest of their kind globally — to enhance sustainability and resilience.
“Egypt does not merely talk about challenges; it presents solutions. Through science, technology, and planning, we are building a water system that is smart, resilient, and sustainable,” he noted.
Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt’s long-standing support for African development through genuine partnerships in water, energy, and agriculture, rejecting the use of “development” as a pretext for imposing control or causing harm to others.
“The right to development cannot be separated from the duty to avoid causing harm. This is a cornerstone of international law that must guide any project on shared rivers,” he said.
“Let Cairo send a clear message: water is not a cause of dispute, but a foundation for life, cooperation, and peace. From the heart of the Nile Valley, Egypt renews its pledge to safeguard its rights and contribute to a shared future where every drop counts.” Madbouly called for regional and global solidarity around water cooperation rather than conflict, as he concluded his address.
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