Several ministries are involved in managing water sector such as The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation; (MWRI), the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; (MALR) and the Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Development; (MHUUD).

Some other ministries participate by different degrees in auxiliary management and operation of part of the irrigation and drainage systems such as Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, and the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD).

The Government has indicated its intent to shift emphasis from its role as the central (or sole) actor in developing and managing water supply systems, towards promoting participatory approaches in which water users will play an active role in the management of irrigation systems and cost sharing.Important institutional and legislative measures have been taken recently to promote the establishment of sustainable participatory irrigation management (PIM) associations. However, despite these measures, the development of water users’ associations (WUAs) as effective partners in irrigation management remains at an early stage.

In the new lands, the concept of PIM is not yet effectively operational for a variety of economic, financial and institutional reasons.While most settlers recognize the importance of WUAs in the equitable distribution of available water, uneven water availability, either due to design shortcomings or to lax enforcement of rules against excess abstraction by front-end water users, has acted as a disincentive to the successful operation of WUAs in many instances.

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Several laws and decrees have been approved by the Egyptian Parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers and the President to organize the work of the MWRI and to organize the distribution of water among different users and recently to protect the environment and water system from pollution.

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The government invests considerable resources in the land-reclamation programme. Investment is primarily in irrigation and drainage infrastructure, settlement construction, and provision of potable water, electricity and roads. Very little is invested in social services (education and health), and no investment is made in the provision of agricultural services (technology, water management and rural finance). Consequently, poor settlers face difficulties in settling and farming, and a considerable percentage move back to the old lands and abandon their new land farms.

Both MWRI and MALR activities are considered public services and their water and land development projects are budgeted in the national economic and social development plan.