** #9 Egypt’s water shortage, soil degradation, and pollution have created a “crisis” for farmers in the Nile Delta, Heba Saleh writes for the Financial Times. In some villages previously known for having some of the country’s most fertile land, fresh water irrigation channels have run dry, forcing farmers to use untreated drainage water, which ends up undermining cultivation levels. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) promises to worsen conditions, but analysts say that Egypt’s water woes will not dissipate even if we reach a preferable agreement over the timeline of the dam’s reservoir filling. Agriculture Minister Mohamed Abdel Aati “has warned that if Egypt does not find ways to adapt to environmental change then ‘mns of people in the Nile Delta are vulnerable to being resettled, and bns of USD of investment are at high risk.’”

Chinese-funded renewable energy projects in Africa set the stage for “blossoming” relations: China’s expanding investments in Africa’s renewable energy sector has set the scene for a “blossoming” of Sino-African relations, says Chinese outlet ECNS. The continent’s climate, paired with its rapid development and growth in supply, create an opportune window for China to further expand its diplomacy in the continent through investing in key projects. Among these projects is in Egypt’s Benban solar power park, where Chinese clean energy company TBEA is constructing four solar plants in what is the company’s inaugural venture in Africa. China’s investment in Africa’s renewables scene is far more successful than its investment in the continent’s infrastructure, which the Financial Times previously argued has actually undermined economic growth and development in the continent due to the high price tags and low quality.