Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Sewilam, met with Nouraia Sanz, Regional Director of UNESCO’s Cairo Office, ahead of the end of her term, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to continued cooperation with the organisation on water management and climate adaptation, the ministry said.
During the meeting, Sewilam praised UNESCO’s constructive role in supporting Egypt and the wider region across water management, science, culture, and sustainable development. He stressed the importance of further strengthening collaboration, particularly in managing water resources and enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change.
According to the ministry’s statement, discussions covered joint initiatives under the AWARe programme, notably through the “Green Water Dialogue” track. Sewilam commended UNESCO’s Cairo Office for conducting a regional survey linked to the initiative and for supporting a high-level event held in November 2025.
The minister also highlighted UNESCO’s sponsorship of regional water training centres, including the African Centre for Water and Climate Adaptation (PACWA), and praised a climate risk decision-analysis training programme held in June 2025, which aimed to build technical capacity across Africa and the Middle East.
Sewilam underscored the importance of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme as a key pillar for cooperation in scientific research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building in the water sector.
He further thanked UNESCO for its role as a strategic partner of Cairo Water Week since its launch, noting that the organisation’s involvement has contributed to enhancing the event’s international standing.
