Abu Zeid probes World Bank report on new Delta

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mahmoud Abu Zeid will probe a report prepared by experts of World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on West Delta project.

The project covers setting up a new canal to irrigate 200000 feddans.

Meanwhile, Abu Zeid said the Islamic development bank approved an integrated development project of Lake Nasser.

Abu Zeid addressed a ceremony held yesterday at the end of a symposium on the hydrology-of river basins, calling for greater cooperation in water resource management.

The symposium, attended by 19 engineers and experts from Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Sudan, as well as the Dutch ambassador to Cairo, sought to develop the skills and abilities of hydrology researchers and water specialists. The annual workshop was organised by the water research centre at the national centre for water research, and jointly financed by the Egyptian and Dutch governments.

Abu Zeid announced that he would join his Sudanese and Ethiopian counterparts in Khartoum on January 7-8 to discuss means of boosting water cooperation.

He stressed the importance -of coordination among Nile basin countries to develop their water resources to meet the needs of their rising populations and development.