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4 J. Mgmt. & Sustainability 108 (2014)
Water Resources Management: Alarming Crisis for Egypt

handle is hein.journals/jms4 and id is 474 raw text is: Journal of Management and Sustainability; Vol. 4, No. 3; 2014 ISSN 1925-4725 E-ISSN 1925-4733 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Water Resources Management: Alarming Crisis for Egypt Randa El Bedawy1 1Misr International University, Egypt Correspondence: Randa El Bedawy, Misr International University, Egypt. E-mail: randa.bedawy ttmiuegypt.edu.eg Received: July 15, 2014 Accepted: August 3, 2014 Online Published: August 29, 2014 doi: 10.5539/jms.v4n3p108 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jms.v4n3p108 Abstract Water is one of the most important inputs for economic development and sustainable development; as the demand increases, so too does the importance of water. The future looks miserable if Egypt does not succeed in formulating and implementing water resources management approach which can match the limited freshwater supply with the increasing demand. This study intended to shed the light on the future water status in Egypt based on the current status of the available water resources, the water demand, the institutional and legislative frameworks of water management, adding to shed the light on the strategies and policies to rationalize water use and to augment water supply. This study intended to explore how Egypt will safeguard its water resources in the future, both with respect to quantity and quality and how it will use these resources in the best way. Recommendations to help overcome anticipated water challenges and to optimize the available opportunities were provided in this worthwhile study as knowledge of Egyptian water resource planning is presently very limited and largely undocumented. Hence, the challenges and opportunities were discussed in order to support the decision-making process concerned with water resources management as an essential prerequisite for Egypt sustainable development. The future scenarios that introduce the future challenges, using the available opportunities, were investigated and recommendations to help overcome the future challenges were presented. Keywords: water quality, water policy making, water governance, sustainable development, water resource planning 1. Introduction Water resources management, water quality management and environmental protection are the main concerns for sustainable development. As Andelman (2010) noted Water is mankind's most valuable resource. Water is the one essential requirement of all forms of food production, No Water, No Food. At the end of 1984, 21 African countries were suffering from what the UN calls Abnormal food shortages, as 40% of Africa's total population didn't know where their next meal was coming from. World recession, civil and military conflicts all played their part but the real truth was that Africa was short not so much of food as of water. According to the UN report 1997, more than 80 countries composing 40% of the world's population were already suffering from serious water shortages and a rapid deterioration of water quality, affecting these countries' economics and social development as a well as human health (Clarke, 1993; Andelman, 2010). Although water shortage is also a potential problem in developed countries and industrial nations, the rich countries can usually resort to buying their way out through the use of expensive energy, technology, and investments to recycle their water or to desalinate seawater. On the other hand, developing countries that are trapped in poverty and debt have no such opinion. As a result, they must either limit their use of water that has not previously been used or they must make do with used but untreated water. Unfortunately, most of developing countries that are short of water rely on inadequate solutions as the use of dirty water and most sewage is left untreated (Falkenmark, 1976). Water remains vital to the growth and welfare of the entire Middle Eastern region. In fact, many scientists and politicians have stated that water and the control of water are key factors in the overall stability of the region (Cerveny, 2006). Some 270 basins are shared between two or more countries and as demand for water becomes more severe, better management of these shared rivers will be required to prevent sparks from occurring (Andelman, 2010). Egypt as a poor developing country, only 4 % of its land arable, its water supplies is uncertain and its known oil reserve could be exhausted in 15 years, but rich in human resources. The concentration of the total density of the

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