Sewilam made his remarks during a session titled "Water, Food, and Energy Nexus in the Middle East and North Africa," organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The session was held as part of the sixth edition of Cairo Water Week (CWW), which kicked off on Sunday and is slated to continue through Thursday.

The Middle East and North Africa is increasingly facing challenges in the water sector that must be addressed, he said.

He pointed to several projects that Egypt is undertaking to enhance water efficiency, improve water management, increase crop productivity, and expand the reuse of agricultural drainage water.

Sewilam emphasized the critical interconnection between water, food, and energy, all of which are closely related to sustainable development goals.

The irrigation minister also stressed the importance of enhancing research into water desalination for intensive food production, particularly in how to make it economically feasible.

Egypt is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, relying on the Nile River for 97 percent of its water needs.

The country’s annual water share is 500 cubic metres per person annually at a time when the UN defines water scarcity as twice that quantity.

The country, with a population estimated at over 104 million and expected to increase by 75 million by 2050, overcomes water scarcity by importing 54 percent of its virtual water, which is the embedded water required to produce commodities, and reusing 42 percent of its renewable water.