A number of initiatives offering low cost technology and utilising the environment for wastewater treatment in Egypt will be highlighted at an upcoming water technologies event in Cairo.

IQPC's Wastewater Egypt event will be held from October 31 to November 3 at the Cairo Ramses Hilton, and will feature workshops, presentations and networking opportunities.

Dr Hussein Abdel Shafy of the Egyptian National Research Centre and Dr Medhat Saleh of the El Azhar University will be showcasing their strategies in workshop and presentation formats during the summit.

Dr Abdel Shafy's methods rely on utilising wetlands as hybrid systems for the treatment of wastewater. This is a low cost strategy which does not require the implementation of any complicated technology.

Dr Saleh has formulated clustering projects as a program to improve rural sanitation coverage across Egypt. This involves centralising wastewater and sanitation centres in order to provide a more reliable and effective system of sanitation for rural pockets.

Other expert speakers will include the deputy chairman of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, the EU Ambassador to Egypt and the project manager for the USAID water and wastewater programme in Egypt.

Egypt, which suffers from some of the greatest water problems in the Mena region, is classed as a water scarce country, and its citizens receive less than 1000 cu m of fresh water per capita each year.

Considering the nation's population is forecast to grow to 95 million by 2025, this would mean an annual amount of fresh water of less than 600 cu m per person.

The country's historical source of water, the River Nile, continues to supply the bulk of Egypt's water but has struggled to retain its water quality under the stresses of a growing population.

Wastewater, treated water for reuse, is being increasingly used in agriculture and crop cultivation in Egypt's desert landscapes and farm areas alike.

The national government has recognised the importance of this resource and has embarked upon a massive effort to transform the local industry. – TradeArabia News Service