Egypt looking at water shortages for “years to come”: Demand for water has outstripped supply by 20 bn cubic meters with Egypt looking at a future of water shortages for some years to come, said Deputy Irrigation Minister Ragab Abdel Azeem. Disputes over Egypt’s share of the Nile (i.e Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) are collectively the most pressing and urgent challenge to Egypt’s water security, said Abdel Azeem in an interview with Al Shorouk. The ministry has a plan in place to reduce the negative impact of the shortages that will focus on developing new water resources, cutting down on consumption, and reducing water pollution until 2050, he added. The interview goes on to detail come of the components of the strategy, which will include enforcing limits on rice production, targeting and cleaning up polluted wells, and studying the impact on climate change on water resources.