Most of the cultivated lands are close to the Nile banks, its main branches and canals. Currently, the inhabited area is about 12.5 million feddans and the irrigated agricultural land is about 7.85 million feddans (1 feddan = 1.04 acres). The average annual water for agricultural use is estimated to be 59.9 km³ in the year 2000.

Agriculture requirements in future include two main parts: the irrigation needs for the existing cultivated lands and the expected expansion of irrigated lands.

Two main land reclamation projects have been launched, in the year 1997, the first being El-Salam Canal west of Suez Canal and El-Sheikh Jaber east of Suez Canal to reclaim about 620,000 feddans. The second project is El-Sheikh Canal to reclaim about 500,000 feddans in the south of New Valley. The agriculture requirement in the year 2025 is estimated to be 69.43 km³.

The total municipal water requirement was estimated to be 4.5 km³ in the year 2000, a portion of water is actually consumed and the rest returns back to the system (either to the sewerage system or by seepage to the ground water). The requirement of domestic use is estimated to be 6.6 km³ in the year 2025. The industrial water requirement during the year 2000 was 7.8 km³ and it will be 10.56 km³ in the year 2025.

The river Nile main stream and part of irrigation network are being used for navigation when the discharges to meet other agricultural demands are too low and provide minimum draft required by ships.

There are no special releases for hydropower at present, and releases for irrigation, municipal, industrial, and navigation purposes are used to pass through turbines at the High Aswan Dam.