Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Bahaa Eddin has called for the prohibition of rice cultivation in desert lands, which is already forbidden by law, so as to reduce overdraft of water from aquifers.
“The groundwater went down 2.5 meters,” he warned in a statement Wednesday. “Future generations may not find water.”
His statement came on Wednesday during a celebration of the International Accreditation Certificate ISO 17025 that was awarded to the ministry’s groundwater laboratory in the New Valley Governorate.
“This is the first lab of its kind to win the award despite the logistical and financial challenges it had to face,” said laboratory director Abdel Hamid Ahmed. “It is an important step towards providing a global level of services.”
He added that the laboratory made LE5 million in profits this year from services rendered to the private sectors and individual users.
