Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Aty has said that the flooding of the Nile River this year has been higher than average, with the rainfall rates continuing to rise at the source of the river during September.

At the meeting of the Permanent Committee for Regulating Nile River Revenue he said the relevant ministry agencies are continuing to follow up on rainfall rates at the source in order to determine the quantities of water reaching the High Dam lake.

He said the process of gradual water disposal will continue in order to meet the water needs of all beneficiaries.

The minister was reassured about the water situation in the various governorates, and about the progress in all irrigation and drainage departments to enable the water system to provide water needs for all uses.

He ordered a high alert state for all ministry departments and directed them to continue preparing to take all necessary measures to meet water needs during the monsoon season.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Ghanem, said that the committee in the ministry usually follows up on Nile flooding periodically, but at present it is meeting every few days to monitor the situation.

Ghanem said it is the natural hydrology of the Nile that flood levels fluctuate annually. He explained that the bulk of the flood waters come from Ethiopia, heading downstream past Khartoum to Egypt, and therefore any increase of rainfall at the source causes water levels to rise in Egypt.

Ghanem stressed the importance of the Rain and Flood Forecasting Center in the Ministry of Irrigation due to its ability to predict rainfall 72 hours before it occurs through satellite images.

This allows the relevant parties in governorates that are particularly susceptible to flooding to prepare accordingly.