Egyptian–Sudanese Cooperation in the Water Sector: A Strategic Pillar for Post-War Recovery

Dr Ammar Abkar Abdallah
This article is based on the official statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Arab Republic of Egypt yesterday (13 February 2026), announcing a coordination meeting between the Egyptian and Sudanese sides—held in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Housing and Sudan’s Drinking Water Authority—to discuss the preparation of a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of water resources, irrigation, drinking water, and sanitation.
According to the statement, the meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and capacity building through the establishment of a vocational technical training school in Sudan, support for digital transformation and infrastructure modernisation, and the rehabilitation of technical laboratories. The two sides also agreed to update the provisions of the MoU in line with Sudan’s current needs and to continue technical coordination, particularly in operation, management, and maintenance—including the rehabilitation of the Central Laboratory in the Al-Mogran area.
Post-War Context and the Priority of the Water Sector
This initiative carries exceptional importance in light of the profound challenges facing Sudan in the post-war phase. The water and sanitation sector is among the most severely affected and among those most directly linked to public health and social stability. Water is not merely a basic service; it is a key entry point for rebuilding trust, restoring stability, and achieving economic and social recovery.
Official reports issued during 2023–2024 by international organisations, including UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, have documented widespread deterioration in water supply and sanitation services across Sudan. This decline stems from damaged infrastructure, the shutdown of numerous water stations, and weakened operational and technical capacities within service institutions—particularly in urban and conflict-affected areas. These conditions have increased reliance on unsafe water sources and heightened the risk of water-borne diseases.
The Memorandum of Understanding: From Coordination to Institutional Recovery
The move to renew and develop the MoU between Egypt and Sudan represents a positive step beyond mere protocol. It reflects a shared recognition of the need to shift from emergency response to sustainable institutional recovery.
The real challenge lies not only in rehabilitating damaged facilities, but in rebuilding human and institutional capacities, ensuring sustainable operation and maintenance, and improving governance and management within the water sector.
The official emphasis on vocational training, digital transformation, infrastructure modernisation, and laboratory rehabilitation provides a practical entry point for addressing structural bottlenecks in Sudan’s water sector—particularly amid limited resources and expanding needs.
Maximising Sudan’s Benefit from Egyptian Support
To achieve maximum benefit, this cooperation must be managed within a clear national Sudanese vision that balances technical assistance from Egypt with the localisation of expertise within Sudanese institutions. This entails:
Prioritising institutional capacity building over short-term projects.
Linking technical and training support to structured knowledge transfer and localisation programmes.
Drawing on Egyptian expertise in operations, management, maintenance, and digital transformation.
Empowering Sudanese institutions to achieve sustainable self-management and reduce future dependence on external support.
Accumulated Sudanese Expertise and the JICA Project
In addition to regional cooperation, Sudan possesses valuable accumulated national expertise in the water sector that can be revitalised and updated during the recovery phase.
Notably, the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Enhancement Project implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Sudan focused on strengthening strategic water management and integrated planning across sectors and institutions. Its various phases—including comprehensive water assessments, action plan development, and institutional capacity building—were implemented during 2016–2018 and beyond.
Revisiting and updating the outputs of this project in light of current realities offers a genuine opportunity to build upon existing national knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and anchor current cooperation within previously tested planning frameworks.
The “Zero Thirst” Programme: A National Experience to Build Upon
Similarly, the “Zero Thirst” Programme, implemented by Sudan’s Dams Implementation Unit, was an important national initiative aimed at improving access to drinking water in rural and vulnerable areas. It focused on borehole drilling, sustainable water source development, and strengthening partnerships with local communities.
Lessons from this programme—particularly in field implementation, project management, and coordination with states—constitute practical capital that can be integrated into any bilateral or international cooperation framework, provided its mechanisms are updated and aligned with a unified national water supply strategy.
Urban and Rural Water Supply: A Condition for Stability
Urban and rural water supply remains one of Sudan’s most urgent priorities, given its direct connection to public health, social stability, and the resumption of economic activity—especially in war-affected cities and fragile rural communities.
Accordingly, Sudan must ensure institutional readiness at both the federal and state levels to guarantee:
Clear delineation of roles and responsibilities among federal, state, and local institutions.
Organisational readiness for planning, implementation, operation, and maintenance.
Integration of urban and rural water supply within a unified national vision.
Capacity to absorb external technical and financial support and translate it into sustainable outcomes.
Without such readiness, even high-quality support may have a limited impact. With it, Sudan can transition effectively from emergency relief to sustainable recovery.
Sanitation: The Missing Link in the Recovery Equation
No discussion of water security is complete without prioritising sanitation. Weak or absent sanitation services not only threaten public health but also directly undermine water quality, increase environmental and economic burdens, and compromise reconstruction efforts.
Integrating sanitation into reconstruction planning and treating it as both a public health and environmental security issue constitutes a long-term investment in urban stability and water resource protection.
Recommendations in Light of the Upcoming MoU
In light of the official statement of 13 February 2026, the forthcoming MoU should be accompanied by a comprehensive, time-bound implementation plan. This plan should clearly define:
Intervention priorities
Responsible institutions
Performance indicators
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
Conclusion
The official statement issued by Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation on 13 February 2026 reflects a genuine opportunity to establish a strategic partnership between Egypt and Sudan in the water sector—one capable of contributing meaningfully to Sudan’s post-war recovery.
However, the success of this partnership will ultimately depend on its ability to move beyond declarations of intent toward clear implementation plans, tangible results, and sustainable impact on citizens’ lives, public health, and national stability.
Researcher in Integrated Water Resources Management
Former National Coordinator, Sudan Water Partnership – East Africa Region – Global Water Partnership (Stockholm, Sweden)

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