Egypt, Netherlands launch €3.7 mln water resilience project in South Sinai

Egypt and the Netherlands have launched a €3.7 million, three-year project to strengthen water security and climate resilience in South Sinai, the Netherlands Embassy in Cairo said on Monday.

The project, known as the Saint Catherine–Wadi Fieran 3Rs for Resilience Project, includes plans to build 50 mountain lakes to harvest rainwater and protect communities from flash floods, Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said in a statement on Tuesday.

The project involves IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Acacia Water from the Netherlands, alongside the Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM), in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

It will apply the principles of Retention, Recharge, and Reuse (3Rs) to address water scarcity and flash-flood risks, improve groundwater recharge, and support more efficient, resilient agriculture, the embassy said.

Working with local authorities and communities, the initiative aims to deliver lasting benefits for farmers and residents through knowledge exchange, technology transfer and practical water-management solutions.

Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol for the project during the ninth Cairo Water Week.

The protocol was signed by INWRDAM’s executive director Marwan Alraggad and a representative of the Dutch Embassy in Cairo.

Swailem said the project would apply the Water–Energy–Food–Environment (WEFE) approach, which promotes integrated management of water resources alongside energy, food security and environmental needs.

The embassy said the initiative builds on 50 years of water cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands, reflecting the two countries’ shared commitment to sustainable water management, climate resilience and regional knowledge-sharing.