Sudanese water safety: expert warnings – Truth – ✍️ Ibrahim Shaqlawi
In the light of the transformations which take place in the structure of Sudanese state institutions, in particular what is linked to the Ministry of Irrigation and Agriculture, the water safety file is highlighted as an extremely sensitive and important strategic question. The last days have experienced a broad, technical and political discussion concerning the decision to integrate the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture, in the midst of the growing warnings of experts and specialists concerning the negative effects of this decision which affects the national security of water, which represents one of the pillars of Sudanese national security.
Yesterday, we participated in a symposium organized by the association of graduates of the Delft Institute for Water, and included more than 118 specialists and researchers in the fields of water and agriculture, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of this integration. The symposium has dealt with fundamental questions, including the technical and administrative complications accumulated in the management of water resources in Sudan, where the ministry currently supervises six main water tanks, and hundreds of hydraulic installations which feed strategic irrigation projects such as Al -jazeera, Radh and New Halfa, as well as projects whose studies have been carried out under the name of Kakanna and Al-Rahad.
These technical roles make the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources a central institution in the management of a strategic resource, the role of which is not limited to the distribution of water, but also interferes with complex regional sovereign files such as the Renaissance dam and the Nile Basin Commission.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture assumes major responsibilities related to national and regional food security, which is an important pillar of economic and social stability. However, the integration of the two ministries, despite the administrative guidelines that may seem, implies major risks, in particular the marginalization of the water resources file, which requires a ruling administration of technical and political independence, to guarantee the continuity of the national strategies associated with it.
A certain number of speakers of the symposium – former ministers and university experts – have confirmed that water represents a sovereign resource linked to national security, noting that previous integration experiences have not achieved the required success, due to the lack of meticulous studies and adequate institutional preparation. They also stressed that the stability of the institutional structure of water management is essential to preserve technical frameworks and specialized expertise.
The Symposium also Warned that the cancellation of an independent minister of water resources May lead to weakening the Technical Status of Sudan at the International Level, and the Required Coordination is complicated internally between the sectors of water, agriculture, energy and the surroundings, Which Threatens water Security, and Limits Sudan’s Ability to Manage ITS Cross -Border Files, Especially in Light of the Recent Developments Regarding the Renaissance Dam, After Ethiopia Announced the Completion of its Construction and the call to its inauguration in September.
This embarrassing geopolitical reality highlights the size of the responsibilities undertaken by the Ministry of Water Resources, because it is a technical and leadership entity which should keep its independence, in order to be able to coordinate with regional and international partners, and confront national challenges, above all among the foundations of the State.
The symposium has also recommended the cancellation of the integration decision and the appeal to form a sovereign water council, to undertake the tasks of strategic planning and formulate regulatory policies and laws, to include representatives of various sectors concerned, and is linked to the presidency of the sovereign council or the Council of Ministers, in a way that ensures coordination without compromising the ministry or coordination without compromising the ministry Or the charge of the Ornial, without going there. tasks.
Sudan, as a central country in the Nile basin, cannot process the water file as a subsidiary service, but it should rather be considered as a sovereign resource linked to precise internal and external interests. The incorporation of the Ministry of Water Resources in the Ministry of Agriculture – at this critical moment – weakens the national ability to process the main files such as the Renaissance dam, climate change and water sharing agreements.
In the midst of this controversy, observers were proposed worthy of interest: the creation of a ministry in the name of “water resources and the environment”, including water, dams, water harvesting and groundwater tasks, as well as environmental references and sustainable development. This is an option in accordance with global trends aimed at integrating environmental and water policies, and at the same time preserves technical independence, and provides a modern institutional platform to cope with increasing challenges.
The question is therefore not only linked to an administrative structure, but also to the future of a homeland. Will the government seize this opportunity for real reform? Or follow the path of the dissolution of ministerial institutions in broader entities in the name of administrative jurisdiction, to the detriment of the supreme national interest?
According to what we see from the face of the truth, water safety in Sudan is not only an administrative file, but rather a strategic axis which cannot be neglected. Any reform in this area must be based on deep scientific studies and the real participation of stakeholders, far from unilateral decisions that could weaken Sudan’s ability to protect its water rights, strengthen its stability and confront future challenges.
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Monday August 4, 2025 ad shglawi55@gmail.com
