Photo courtesy of Egypt's ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Abdelatty made the remarks while participating in a high-level roundtable titled “Mobilising Financing for Water Security and Sanitation in Africa: Financing the African Water Vision and Policy 2063,” held on Wednesday as part of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings.
He warned that Africa’s water sector is facing growing pressures due to climate change, rapid population growth, and increasing water scarcity, noting that the continent requires around $30 billion annually to achieve water security and expand access to water and sanitation services.
The minister praised the adoption of the African Water Vision and Policy 2063, describing it as an integrated framework for sustainable water governance. He highlighted its principles on managing transboundary water resources, which he said align with long-standing Egyptian positions.
Abdelatty noted that Egypt is one of the world’s most water-scarce countries and relies almost entirely on the Nile River to meet its needs, particularly amid demographic growth and climate change impacts.
He also called for expanding investment in non-traditional water solutions such as desalination, water reuse, and wastewater treatment, stressing the need for technology transfer, capacity-building, and stronger institutional frameworks. He urged increased financing for the water sector, particularly within climate adaptation programmes, and called on multilateral development banks to enhance their lending capacity to support sustainable development and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Abdelatty also participated in the African Consultative Group meeting with World Bank President Ajay Banga, where he delivered remarks on behalf of African countries.
He highlighted the growing impact of geopolitical tensions on African economies, including rising energy and food prices and increasing inflation, noting that external pressures have become a persistent feature of the global economic landscape.
Abdelatty urged the World Bank to play a more active role in supporting African economies as they navigate inflation control, fiscal discipline, and social spending needs, stressing the importance of targeted financing tools to strengthen energy security and economic resilience across the continent.
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