Water Resources Act of 1995.

This Act consisting of 23 articles divided in 6 Chapters aims at reforming the organization of the Nile and Non-Nilotic surface waters as well as the groundwater, hence superseding the Law of 1939 that was limited to the Nile waters only. The Law establishes the National Council for Water Resources (NCWR) with the following main tasks (i) design and rationalize the management and use of water resources to mitigate the effects of natural disasters resulting from drought and floods, to protect these resources from pollution and degradation and to develop them in an integrated and balanced manner with the other natural resources; (ii) develop a long-term national program for the optimal and balanced use of water resources; (iii) propose and review the legislation related to water resources; (iv) supervise the withdrawal of water from the Nile, non-Nile waters and other rivers and groundwater for the purposes of irrigation, drinking, industry, hydro-power generation and sanitation; (v) issue permits to withdraw water from the Nile, or other non-Nile waters, or groundwater; (vi) The allocate specific quantities of surface or underground water; (vii) distribute the available quantity water for fair use; and (viii) organize the drilling of deep surface wells.
As regards for the right to use water, the Law establishes that (i) the State has the right to control the flow and use of water, and all that relates to water resources; (ii) the public has the right to use water for various purposes in accordance with the provisions of this Law. It is permitted pump or other means of withdrawing water from the Nile or non-Nile rivers, or other streams or groundwater for irrigation, drinking, sanitation or industrial only after obtaining a permit from the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources. The Law prohibits (i) the establishment of dams on the Nile, non-Nile rivers, other streams or groundwater unless approved by the Minister; (ii) cultivation of state-owned land except for the established conditions; (iii) the establishment of any facilities between the banks without the permission of the Ministry; and (iv) logging trees or palm trees planted on private land adjacent to the banks.