Cairo Might Soon Run Out of Drinking Water, According to The New York Times

Last year, the BBC published a report highlighting the 11 cities most likely to run out of clean, drinking water, and Cairo was one of them.

Mentioning that the Nile is currently struggling due to pollution, it remains the source of 97% of Egypt’s water but also the destination of increasing amounts of untreated agriculture, and residential waste. “World Health Organization figures show that Egypt ranks high among lower middle-income countries in terms of the number of deaths related to water pollution,” the report revealed. “The UN estimates critical shortages in the country by 2025.”

Two days ago, a New York Times article titled ‘A Quarter of Humanity Faces Looming Water Crises' puts Cairo under the ‘Groundwater Decline’ chart, with statistics claiming the city loses 2-5 cm/year. 

“Today, among cities with more than 3 million people, World Resources Institute researchers concluded that 33 of them, with a combined population of over 255 million, face extremely high water stress, with repercussions for public health and social unrest,” the article stated. 

Climate change heightens Cairo’s risk of experiencing a Day Zero soon, because as rainfall decreases and as the weather gets hotter, water evaporates from the reservoirs, making the water supply becomes more scarce just as the demand increases. 

“We’re likely to see more of these Day Zeros in the future,” said Betsy Otto, who directs the global water program at the World Resources Institute. “The picture is alarming in many places around the world.”