What Egypt-India Cooperation in Sustainable Agriculture, Water Resources Management Could Deliver

Egypt and India are exploring avenues of cooperation in sustainable agriculture and integrated water resources management that could positively impact food security, climate resilience, water conservation, and South-South cooperation.

A meeting between Egypt’s Ministers of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouq, Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, and representatives of several Indian companies and organizations specialized in agriculture and water management reviewed existing and proposed areas of collaboration between the two countries, including the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for research and training on millet cultivation, a drought- and climate-resilient cereal crop.

The discussions also covered a digital agriculture project and a project to produce biodegradable tableware from rice straw, alongside mechanisms to utilize available financing under a bilateral memorandum of understanding and a dedicated credit line supporting joint initiatives, with the participation of Indian companies, according to Egypt’s State Information Service, a government agency affiliated with the country’s Presidency.

The two ministers emphasised the need to speed up the implementation of joint projects and remove any obstacles to ensure effective cooperation.

They also called for organizing a field visit to Upper Egypt to assess opportunities for expanding millet cultivation as part of efforts to enhance food security as climate conditions get increasingly challenging.

Egypt’s Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Sewilam reviewed the country’s ongoing efforts in rainwater and flood harvesting projects, as well as initiatives to maximize the use of available water resources in support of agricultural development, in line with sustainable water management policies.

He harped on the importance of making use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence to improve water and land management efficiency and advance sustainable development goals.

The meeting also discussed a proposal by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to establish a regional Center of Excellence in Egypt to serve North and West Africa, in addition to the establishment of a specialized research laboratory for water applications, artificial intelligence, and land management aimed at developing innovative solutions for food and water security.

The Sustainability Nexus: What Cooperation Could Deliver

For Egypt and India, two countries that are under increasing pressure from climate change, strengthening cooperation in sustainable agriculture and water resources management is a bold move that, if well implemented, could become a model for climate adaptation across the Global South. Its implications for sustainability food security, climate resilience, water conservation, and South-South cooperation.

Food Security

Egypt depends on the Nile River for 97 per cent to 98 per cent of its total water resources. With climate change and upstream dam projects posing long-term risks to the continuous availability of water for agriculture, food insecurity stares right in the face of the North African country that currently imports about 40 per cent of its cereal needs.

India, on the other hand, faces increasingly erratic monsoons, severe heatwaves, and droughts that significantly threaten agricultural productivity, exposing the country to food insecurity.

By cooperating in sustainable agriculture, both countries can accelerate the adoption of climate-smart farming practices. Egypt can benefit from India’s considerable expertise in digital agriculture, precision irrigation, remote sensing, satellite-based crop monitoring, and affordable agricultural innovation. This paves way for improved agricultural productivity while reducing resource use, thus supporting the transition toward more resource-efficient food systems.

Water Efficiency

Despite being among the world’s most water-scarce nations, Egypt loses up to 35 per cent of its discharged Nile water through evaporation, canal seepage, and outdated irrigation techniques. For India, many of its regions suffer severe groundwater depletion. Cooperation in water resource management can help the two countries to unlock opportunities in efficient irrigation systems, wastewater treatment and reuse, rainwater harvesting, groundwater monitoring, and smart water technologies. Ultimately, this can reduce water losses, which is critical for long-term environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

Climate Adaptation

Agriculture is one of the sectors most exposed to climate risks as it relies directly on predictable weather patterns, temperature ranges, and water availability. Working together, both countries can share technologies and policies for adapting to prolonged droughts, extreme heat, floods, desertification, and changing rainfall patterns. Rather than respond to climate disasters after they occur, they can invest in resilience before impacts become severe.

South-South Cooperation

Beyond agriculture, an Egypt-India cooperation could signal how developing countries can exchange technologies, policy lessons, and financing models that are often more affordable and better suited to local conditions than solutions developed in Europe or North America. If it succeeds, it could strengthen regional resilience and become a model for similar partnerships across Africa and Asia.

Looking Ahead

The Egypt-India collaboration signals a shift in how countries are approaching sustainability. Increasingly, sustainable agriculture and water management are being recognised as interconnected pillars of climate resilience and food security rather than separate policy issues. Sustainable water management is key to sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience depends on both.As climate change intensifies pressure on water supplies and agricultural productivity, partnerships like the one between Egypt and India, two developing countries, could become increasingly important to accelerate adaptation while strengthening long-term sustainability.