Dr. Hani Sweilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation
Speaking at a press conference following the inauguration of the Irrigation Museum in the New Capital, Sewilam said the flood season remains in its early stages and that no definitive assessment can yet be made.
"The total Nile flood inflow up to this point is slightly below average," he said, adding that reports circulating on social media claiming that Egypt has entered a period of severe drought are inaccurate.
Sewilam explained that the ministry manages the annual flood season with great caution, relying on rainfall forecasting models and a team of experts from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the National Water Research Centre, and other specialized institutions to estimate expected Nile inflows before they reach Egypt.
He noted that classifying the flood season as above average, average, below average, or a drought year is extremely difficult—if not impossible—at this stage because rainfall patterns over the Nile Basin continue to evolve throughout the season.
The minister said Nile flows originate from two main sources: the Equatorial Plateau and the Ethiopian Highlands, with the latter—through the Blue Nile, Atbara, and Sobat rivers—providing the larger share of Egypt's annual water inflows.
He added that the White Nile flood season, which has already concluded, recorded above-average flows, while inflows from the Ethiopian Highlands during the current June-August flood season have so far been slightly below average.
Sewilam stressed that rainfall over the coming months could increase overall inflows and alter the final classification of this year's flood season.
"It is therefore inaccurate to conclude that Egypt is currently experiencing a drought or entering a prolonged period of dry years," he said.
Egypt, one of the world's most water-scarce countries, relies on the Nile for about 97 percent of its freshwater needs.
Cairo has repeatedly warned that prolonged periods of below-average Nile flows, particularly if combined with unilateral operation of Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), could place additional pressure on the country's limited water resources.
Egypt has long called for a legally binding agreement governing the filling and operation of the dam to safeguard downstream water security during droughts and prolonged dry periods.
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