Cairo, Egypt, October 2025

Egypt’s pioneering work in nature-based solutions (NbS) for water treatment has captured national attention. The country’s first newspaper, AlAkhbar, recently featured the NICE project and the Cairo pilot in an article titled “The first model for water treatment using wetlands.”

The feature highlights the work of Dr. Mohamed Elhagarey and his team at the Desert Research Center (DRC), who are leading efforts to integrate constructed wetlands into urban water management. The Cairo pilot demonstrates how locally adapted, low-cost systems can treat and reuse water efficiently, turning water from the River Nile into a valuable resource for irrigation in arid and densely populated areas.

At the heart of the innovation is a hybrid constructed wetland planted with Cyperus papyrus and supported by a subsurface irrigation system using porous pottery drippers and a hydraulic backflow control valve. This combination enables fully automatic, self-compensating water delivery without added energy, making it ideal for Egypt’s climatic and resource conditions. The system produces clean irrigation water at a cost up to 20 times lower than conventional drinking water.

Earlier this year, during the WEFE Nexus in Egypt and the MENA Region Conference, Dr. Elhagarey presented two technologies developed in Egypt, the Soil and Water Management for Rice (SWMR) system and the porous pottery irrigation technology, both of which contribute to improving water efficiency and nutrient conservation in agricultural production.

Professor Carlos Arias from Aarhus University, who visited the Cairo pilot site, praised the Egyptian team’s work, noting that it “demonstrates real-world potential for decentralised, affordable water reuse solutions in extreme climates.”

The NICE project’s collaboration with the Desert Research Center exemplifies how Egyptian ingenuity and European research can come together to develop practical, sustainable pathways for water security.

This recognition by AlAkhbar underscores Egypt’s growing leadership in ecosystem-based water treatment and its vital role in advancing regional resilience through nature-based innovation.

Learn more about the Cairo pilot and the NICE project’s work on water reuse.

Visit AlAkbhar.