Egypt called for "securing water resources" in Africa, saying it is an "inevitable" issue in light of the expected severe impacts due to climate change.
The Egyptian Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, stressed during the virtual meeting of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) the need for awareness and knowledge to face the challenges and the risks in the African continent to reduce emissions.
Cairo's call to preserve and secure water resources coincides with long-standing disputes with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that Addis Ababa is building on the Nile River.
Speaking at the AMCEN meeting themed "Securing people's well-being and sustainability in Africa," the minister asserted the need for African countries to have ambitions in implementing measures to protect against climate change.
The Egyptian government lauded the efforts of the African Group of Negotiators and the African Union to support Egypt's hosting of a conference organized by the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 27), announced the minister.
The meeting will be held in 2022, said Fouad, hoping that the conference will unite the African voice on the issue.
She affirmed her conviction to support African countries and institutions to put African climate change issues at the top of their concerns.
Fouad also stressed the necessity of collective action, solidarity, and coordination among African countries to support mechanisms for implementing the Green Agenda.
"Egypt has taken many steps to prepare a framework for a green recovery strategy, and several measures have been taken in this regard, including the issuance of green bonds, the first of its kind in African countries and the Middle East," she said, explaining that the Egyptian government aims to support renewable energy projects, sustainable transport, and waste management.
Earlier, the UN Security Council issued a statement calling for negotiations leading to a "binding agreement" on the dam.
However, Ethiopia refused to recognize any demands arising from the statement of the Security Council.
