The Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry has announced a nationwide state of emergency due to Egypt’s share of Nile water falling 5 bn cubic meters in 2019, according to a statement. Decreasing rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands is primarily responsible for the declining water volumes, head of the ministry’s planning sector Eman El Sayed said, according to Egypt Today. The ministry statement did not provide any details about the state of emergency. Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Atti in April revealed a USD 50 bn plan to combat water scarcity through using modern irrigation techniques and reducing the cultivation of water-intensive crops. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned earlier this year that Arab countries are looking at a water supply emergency, urging to urgently address the issue.