<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Introduction</h3>
The water cause has become an existential matter in Egypt, as it is closely linked to national security. However, addressing it from a security perspective requires a precise understanding of the process of securitization whether this approach is sufficient to tackle the water deficit crisis in Egypt, or if alternative pathways are needed to address this crisis, which should be on top priorities of vox populi.
Water security is one of the most pressing issues in the minds of thinkers, policymakers, and the public, especially when the society faces the threat of water scarcity. This necessitates joint institutional and community efforts to secure adequate water resources to meet the population's needs given that water scarcity negatively impacts all aspects of life, including agriculture and food prices. However, this connection cannot exist without crafting an urgent exceptional discourse prioritizing water issue for both decision-makers and public opinion.
This commentary investigates into the concept of the securitization and how to achieve it. This is in addition to the reasons behind Egypt's need to securitize water issues as it highlights key indicators of the securitization of water issue in decision-making circles of Egypt. Finally, the commentary will discuss pathways that can put water cause on the right track.
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">First: How to Securitize the Water Cause?</h3>
Securitization means attributing a security dimension to a cause that was not previously viewed as a security concern. In this sense, the cause is transitioned from "low politics," characterized by democratic norms, transparency, and decision-making processes, to "high politics," characterized by urgency and pressing priorities (W&aelig;ver, 1995).
In this context, securitizing the water cause involves framing the water deficit problem as a security threat. This requires exceptional measures to combat the threats associated with water scarcity. Consequently, the water cause is presented to the public as "urgent and existential,&rdquo; warranting the attention of top policymakers, and it cannot be subject to normal political compromise.
To achieve this goal &mdash;according to literature&mdash; there are three mechanisms that can facilitate the securitization process, although officials often focus on the first mechanism due to its relative ease, speed, and low cost:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">Discursive Mechanism: it focuses on using linguistic tools to portray urgency and the seriousness of the threat. Political elites may resort to this option to evoke public anxiety and depict an imminent and irreversible danger. Consequently, legitimization of the extraordinary measures taken is being processed. In the context of water issues, common alarming metaphors might include "water wars" and "water stress" to evoke tensions caused by water shortage.</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">Structural Mechanism: This mechanism has a technical dimension that relates to tangible infrastructure aiming at protecting the threatened resource. Through this mechanism, potential threats to water systems can be addressed, including terrorist attacks such as deliberate water contamination. In response to these threats, structural securitization encourages prompt technical measures with security dimensions, such as installing early warning systems to manage risks associated with water pollution or scarcity.</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">Institutional Mechanism: It includes joint measures among institutions to address threats. Without institutions, it is impossible to formulate an effective security discourse or legitimize the urgency of adopting certain exceptional measures. The establishment of the Nile Basin Council of Ministers, which is the highest decision-making body of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), serves as an example of the institutional mechanism for securitizing and managing shared threats targeting the Nile River in Africa.</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Second: Why to Securitize the Water Cause?</h3>
Several facts confront Egyptian decision-makers that push towards effectively securitizing the water cause. They are:
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Significant Water Deficit: Egypt's water annual needs amount to 80 billion m3, while the total available freshwater resources are only 60 billion cubic meters. As a result, Egypt faces a water deficit of 20 billion m3 annually (Egypt State Information Service, 2022). In addition, the average per capita share of available freshwater has dropped to 560 m3 per year by 2022, meanwhile the United Nations defines water poverty as less than 1,000 m3 annually (SSCHR, 2022). Projections indicate that the per capita share of freshwater could decline to 330 m3 by 2050 that could push the country towards a critical water poverty rate hindering development efforts (E. Galal et al., 2023, P. 1946).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Rising Population Growth Rates: The continuous population increase in Egypt will lead to higher water demand for industrial and domestic uses, exacerbating water poverty per capita. Estimates suggest that Egypt's total population could exceed 175 million by 2050, creating significant pressure on limited and fixed water resources (Abdel Salam, 2021).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD): This represents one of the major challenges facing Egypt, particularly in light of unilateral actions by Ethiopia regarding the filling and operation of the dam. Estimates suggest that Egypt's share of Nile water could decrease by an average of 10 to 15 billion m3, resulting in the loss of approximately 18% of arable land, equivalent to 1.8 million acres out of 10 million acres (Draya Forum, 2022).
</li>
</ul>
In fact, these factors compel Egyptian decision-makers to securitize the water issue to convince citizens that it is an "existential issue" requiring exceptional measures to protect Egypt's water security. Water security is closely linked to food security. Thus, if the water crisis continues to worsen, it will significantly impact the development process across its economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Third: Water Cause Securitization in the Egyptian Decision-Making</h3>
Egyptian authorities are making significant efforts to address the risks of water insecurity, reflected in their attempts to invoke discursive, structural, and institutional securitization to place water cause at the forefront of public concerns. It is crystal clear in the following:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">Discursive Mechanism: Several indicators reflect the Egyptian decision-makers' concern for the securitization of water cause from a discursive perspective, including:</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">Egypt's Right to Nile Water is a Red Line: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has warned on multiple occasions that no one can infringe Egypt's right to Nile water, asserting that any violation of this right is a "red line" that will impact the stability of the entire region (BBC, 2021).</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">An Existential Issue Linked to National Security: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty stated on September 24th, 2024, that water is an existential issue for Egypt directly linked to national security, so there is no tolerance or concessions regarding it. He added that Egypt is engaging with all regional and international parties to reaffirm its concerns regarding the filling of the GERD. Furthermore, Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Hany Sewilam highlighted that water is a matter of national security, as it represents life and is essential for the future of upcoming generations to achieve sustainable development.</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" role="presentation">Structural Mechanism: This encompasses infrastructure and technical measures that contribute to reducing the waste of Nile water or protecting water resources. Notable actions taken by the Egyptian state in this regard include:</li>
</ul>
- Approval of the Nile Bond since 2015 that initiated a national campaign to save Nile water, serving as a presidential mandate to all state agencies to protect the Nile from various forms of encroachment and to punish violators according to the law (Hussein, 2021).
- Adopting Strategic Plan (2020-2050) to expand the implementation of desalination plants over the next 30 years, with investments amounting to EGP 134 billion.
- Adopting Smart Irrigation Systems throughout producing advanced moisture sensors at affordable prices. This aims to empower farmers to measure soil moisture levels accurately, achieving multiple benefits primarily saving irrigation water (Egypt State Information Service, 2022).
<ul>
<li>Institutional Mechanism: Cairo seeks to securitize the water cause through international institutional ties, exemplified by:</li>
</ul>
- Warning the EU of the Crisis seriousness: Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly directed his securitized discourse toward the European community, trying to link illegal migration to the GERD crisis during his speech at the Cairo Water Week last October. He stated that water shortage would lead to increased drought in Egypt, subsequently deteriorating agriculture. Therefore, those employed in this sector will be forced to leave it to seek illegal migration on board of primitive ships to Europe (Aboul Fadl, 2024).
Observers note that Egypt has successfully mitigated illegal migration along its coasts during recent years. Therefore, It seeks to leverage this issue to draw European attention to the dangers of not intervening to support Egypt in its crises regarding the filling of the GERD. This has been seen as an attempt to link water insecurity in Egypt to the risks of food security and its potential subsequent threats to European social security due to illegal migration flows.
- Engaging the Security Council: In early September, following recent statements of the Ethiopian Prime Minister regarding the fifth filling phase of the GERD, Egypt addressed a speech to the UN Security Council that &ldquo;it is ready to take all necessary steps to defend its existence and the interests of its people&rdquo; (Egypt State Information Service, 2024).
Conclusion
It could be concluded that the discursive mechanism, even if it works on legitimizing the urgent measures needed to address the water crisis, it is not sufficient to effectively activate the securitization process. Therefore, attention must be directed toward water resource management to be integrated into public and private sector institutions, ensuring regulations are in place to conserve and sustainably develop water resources.
Citizens and civil society organizations should be engaged as key stakeholders in shaping water policies and raising awareness about them. This issue cannot be limited to elite discourse.&nbsp; Engaging the public and civil organizations as stakeholders will enhance awareness of the increasing risks of water poverty in Egypt.
Finally, there is a need to process what is known as "de-securitization". Instead of only focusing on securitizing the water issue, Egyptian decision-makers must also incorporate the "dimension of water deficit" across institutional, economic, security, social, and environmental sectors to adopt more pragmatic measures to address this existential threat to the lives of Egyptian people.
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References
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">E. Galal, A et.al. (2023). Chemical properties of drinking water recovered through the application of Pressure Management Activities in Egypt, Egypt. J. Chem. Vol. 66, No. SI 13, P. 1946</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">W&aelig;ver, O. (1995). Securitization and Desecuritization. In Ronnie Lipschutz (eds.), On Security, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1995) PP. 46-86&nbsp; </li>
</ul>
Arabic References
<ul>
<li dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">الهيئة العامة للاستعلامات. (يونيو، 2022)، مصر وقضية المياه. https://shorturl.at/H8dKu</li>
<li dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">عبد السلام، جيهان. (نوفمبر، 2021)، محاور متشابكة: محددات الخطة المصرية في إدارة المياه، مركز رع للدراسات الاستراتيجية. https://rcssegypt.com/7786&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">منتدى دراية، (نوفمبر، 2022)، الأمن المائي المصري: المؤشرات والتحديات والجهود، https://shorturl.at/UDvMX&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">بي بي سي، (مارس، 2021)، سد النهضة: السيسي يحذر من المساس بحق مصر في مياه النيل ويقول إنها "خط أحمر"، https://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast-56577890&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">حسين، محمد. (7 يونيو، 2021). إنجازات الرئيس السيسي في مجال الموارد المائية.. مشروعات تنموية وتطوير شامل للقرى، https://www.mena.org.eg/ar/news/dbcall/table/webnews/id/8997013&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">أبوالفضل، محمد. (18 أكتوبر، 2024). مصر والهجرة غير الشرعية وسد النهضة، صحيفة العرب اللندنية، <a href="https://shorturl.at/HLIvU">https://shorturl.at/HLIvU</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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