• Egypt is talking with the World Bank to recycle more farm water and roll out smart irrigation to fix a seven billion cubic meter yearly shortage.

• The “Irrigation 2.0” plan will add AI, satellites and desalination to the 9.3 billion cubic meters of drainage water already reused each year.

• Officials say the upgrades could save billions of cubic meters, grow more crops and draw private investors into a tech-driven water sector.

Egypt is intensifying its efforts to address growing water challenges, initiating discussions with the World Bank to expand the reuse of agricultural drainage water, deploy modern irrigation technologies, and accelerate digital transformation in water management. The move comes as the country faces an annual water deficit of around seven billion cubic meters, with climate change intensifying water scarcity concerns. Egypt is positioning irrigation modernization as both a climate adaptation and an economic opportunity.

Egypt already reuses about 9.3 billion cubic meters of drainage and treated wastewater annually, but outdated infrastructure limits efficiency. Under the new “Irrigation 2.0” initiative, the government, headed by the Water and Irrigation Ministry, plans to expand treatment and reuse, deploy advanced irrigation technologies, and explore desalination for intensive food production. Modern technologies include artificial intelligence (AI), satellite imagery, and mathematical modelling to enhance monitoring and operational efficiency, while capacity-building programs at the Regional Training Centre for Water Resources and Irrigation aim to train personnel on these new tools.

During bilateral discussions with Bahrain on September 16, 2025, after talks on Monday with World Bank executive Director, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam reviewed Egypt’s vision for the second generation of the Irrigation 2.0 system, highlighting reliance on modern technology and digital transformation to facilitate water system management. The talks also explored joint cooperation on water treatment and desalination techniques to improve regional water and food security. In a statement published by the Ministry, the World Bank was described as “ key development partner,” referencing a history of successful joint projects.

If implemented at scale, analysts project that Egypt could save billions of cubic meters of water annually, improve agricultural output, and reduce import dependence. The integration of modern irrigation into national water and food security strategy could attract private investment and climate financing, turning water management into an infrastructure-backed economic sector.

By Cynthia EBOT TAKANG