Egypt Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in egypt, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Water and Environment
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Overview

Egypt faces significant environmental and water resource challenges due to rapid population growth, climate change, and increasing urbanization. The government continues to prioritize water conservation, wastewater management, and sustainable infrastructure development through various national strategies and international collaborations.

The key government entities involved in managing Egypt’s water and environmental sectors include:

  • Ministry of Environment (MOE) and its executive body, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)

  • Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI)

  • Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MHUUC)

  • National Water Research Center (NWRC)

  • The Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW)

These agencies implement national strategies and manage funding, research, infrastructure projects, and regulation. Egypt is committed to reducing pollution, improving water efficiency, expanding desalination, and increasing renewable resource use.
 

Key Institutions & Funding Mechanisms

Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) & Environmental Protection Fund (EPF):

The EPF provides financial support for environmentally beneficial projects. Funding sources include the state budget, international donors, court-awarded fines, and private contributions.

Eligible applicants include legally registered Egyptian entities with sound reputations and sustainable project plans. Projects must align with Egypt’s environmental priorities and demonstrate job creation potential.

The Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW):

HCWW is responsible for:

  • Drinking water purification and desalination

  • Distribution networks

  • Wastewater collection and treatment

  • Sludge treatment and reuse

HCWW works with the Ministry of Housing to expand infrastructure in new urban communities like the New Administrative Capital, as well as underserved rural and border areas.
 

Leading Sub-sectors & Market Opportunities

Solid Waste Management:

Egypt generates over 100 million tons of solid waste annually (2024 estimate). Key waste types include:

  • Municipal solid waste (21 million tons)

  • Construction and demolition waste

  • Industrial and agricultural waste

The 2024–2030 Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Recycling includes:

  • Investment in sorting facility infrastructure (Cairo, Daqahliyah, Sharqeya, Fayoum, Luxor, Sinai, Aswan)

  • Funding waste collection, street cleaning, and landfill operations

  • Support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and informal recyclers, public awareness campaigns, and institutional reform
     

Nature Conservation & Water Supply:

Egypt’s agricultural sector consumes approximately 85 percent of the country’s water resources, much of it inefficiently. The National Water Resources Plan (2017–2037) aims to:

  • Develop water resources (recycling, desalination)

  • Improve water quality

  • Rationalize usage

  • Enable supportive policies and institutions

The plan’s total investment is estimated at 900 billion Egyptian pounds ($17.7 billion).

 

Wastewater Recycling & Hazardous Waste Management:

  • Egypt produces 16.4 billion cubic meters of wastewater annually:

  • 12 billion cubic meters from agricultural sources

  • 4.4 billion cubic meters from sewage

  • The 2030 Strategic Vision for Treated Wastewater Reuse categorizes governorates by agricultural intensity to prioritize reuse and safe discharge methods.
     

Opportunities for U.S. Exporters and Investors

Key investment and export areas include:

  • Advanced desalination systems (for coastal cities and new urban areas)

  • Wastewater treatment and reuse solutions

  • Smart irrigation and agricultural drainage systems

  • Drilling and groundwater extraction technologies

  • Solid waste sorting, recycling, and landfill gas recovery technologies

  • Environmental monitoring, sensors, and modeling software

  • Carbon management and climate adaptation services (linked to Egypt’s 2050 Climate Strategy)
     

Challenges

  • Water scarcity: Egypt receives 97 percent of its water from the Nile and falls below the UN water poverty line (610 cubic meters per capita compared to 1,000 cubic meters threshold)

  • Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) impact: The GERD may reduce Egypt’s Nile water quota by up to 25–33 billion cubic meters, affecting agricultural output

  • Urbanization pressures: High population growth (2.5 percent per year) strains infrastructure and water supply systems

  • Financing gaps for large-scale environmental infrastructure projects

Key Contacts & Resources

For more information on the Water and Environment sectors, please contact

Basim Sedki
Commercial Specialist
U.S. Embassy Cairo