81.5% of total water resources in Egypt consumed in agriculture
The agriculture sector remains the largest consumer of water in Egypt, as it acquired 62.15 billion cubic metres in 2015/2016.
The sector accounts for 81.5% of the total use, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
In the second ranking comes the drinking and health usage sector, which consumed 10.4 billion cubic metres in 2015/2016, compared to 10.35 billion cubic metres in 2014/2015—an increase of 0.5%.
CAPMAS released a report on the occasion of World Water Day. It pointed out that the Nile River is the main source of water in Egypt, where its share reached 55.5 billion cubic metres—representing 72.8% of the total renewable water resources. Rainwater, floods, and groundwater, as well as agricultural drainage water that has been recycled and desalinated seawater, collectively add up to about 20.75 billion cubic metres in 2015/2016, compared to 20.9 billion cubic metres in 2014/2015—a decrease of 0.7%.
Read the full article by Hossam Mounir via Daily News Egypt.
[Photo by anthony kelly | Flickr]
