Face of Truth: Water Security… One Year of Absenc
Ibrahim Shaglawi
One year after the formation of the “Government of Hope,” the absence of a dedicated Ministry of Water Resources has become the most prominent test of the state’s ability to safeguard one of the fundamental pillars of its national security. It is well known that some decisions do not reveal their true consequences at the moment they are made, but rather when their effects begin to take shape. The cost of this absence has proven to be far greater than the mere merger of one ministry into another, as it has affected a sector directly linked to Sudan’s future, sovereignty, and the management of its strategic resources.
In today’s world, water security has become a cornerstone of national security, closely connected to food, energy, and sovereignty. Its importance is particularly significant for Sudan, given its location at the heart of the Nile Basin and the challenges it faces regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Entebbe Agreement, climate change, and post-war reconstruction. Amid these transformations, the existence of a specialized institution dedicated to water resources management has become an urgent strategic necessity.
The Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources has long been associated with the history of building the modern Sudanese state. It was through this ministry that major dams were constructed, national development projects advanced, and national expertise accumulated in hydraulic engineering, river basin management, and the formulation of positions on shared water issues. Its role was never limited to operating canals and reservoirs; it also extended to safeguarding the country’s water rights and generating the knowledge upon which the state relied in making its decisions.
However, what has unfolded over recent years, and became more evident following the formation of the government, has revealed a decline in the status of this sector. The issue is not simply the renaming of the ministry or the transfer of some of its responsibilities, but rather the confused political message conveyed by this decline. At a time when the strategic value of water resources is steadily increasing across the region, diminishing the importance of this sector reflects a flaw in the state’s priorities rather than a successful administrative restructuring.
This becomes even clearer when examining the proposed organizational and functional structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. Although the document seeks to redistribute responsibilities and improve performance, its treatment of water resources reflects a predominantly operational perspective, while the strategic dimension that should govern the management of a resource representing one of the country’s most vital elements of sovereignty has noticeably receded.
The proposed structure begins with the Undersecretary, overlooking the Minister as the head of political and executive authority. It also fails to reflect the institutions and agencies that have, for decades, constituted the backbone of Sudan’s water resources system, foremost among them the Hydraulic Research Center, the Technical Water Resources Authority, the Public Irrigation and Excavation Corporation, the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Authority, the Dams Implementation Unit with its accumulated legacy, and other institutions that have built extensive national expertise in planning, research, implementation, and project management.
The value of these institutions lies not merely in their administrative structures but in the fact that they represent the state’s institutional memory and reservoirs of expertise. The post-war period will require not only the reconstruction of water infrastructure but also the restoration of planning capacity, the ability to absorb development financing, and the management of development partnerships. Moreover, limiting the mandate to “irrigation” overlooks the broader concept of water resources, which encompasses drinking water, energy, the environment, and navigation. This is not merely a difference in terminology but a shift in the philosophy of managing a strategic resource that constitutes one of the pillars of national security.
Likewise, merging the General Directorate of Projects with the General Directorate of Irrigation Operations confuses two fundamentally different functions: building infrastructure and operating it. Such a merger weakens the independence of engineering expertise and runs counter to the principles of modern institutional organization. More importantly, the proposed structure lacks the presence of essential concepts such as water security, risk management, water diplomacy, and transboundary water management—all of which are indispensable tools for protecting national interests amid growing competition over water resources.
Some observers may associate the diminishing presence of the concept of “water resources” within the organizational structure with the complexities of the regional environment surrounding Nile water issues. However, such interpretations remain within the realm of political speculation unless supported by publicly available evidence. The undeniable reality is that Sudan, regardless of the nature of its alliances and regional relationships, needs strong national institutions capable of managing its water resources efficiently, because the strength of national institutions does not undermine cooperation; rather, it guarantees its sustainability.
An organizational structure is not merely an administrative document; it reflects the state’s perception of its strategic priorities. What is absent from it may be more revealing than what is included. The declining role of institutions responsible for generating knowledge and managing water resources sends troubling signals regarding the place of water in the post-war era. States do not begin reconstruction with projects alone; they begin with institutions capable of implementing and sustaining them. From there begins Sudan’s restoration of its agricultural and developmental role.
According to Face of Truth, the most alarming revelation of the first year was not simply the absence of an independent ministry, but the declining strategic status of the water sector within the structure of the state itself. In a world where water has become one of the foremost elements of power and national sovereignty, safeguarding national institutions that preserve expertise and knowledge is no longer an organizational option but a national security imperative, because water security begins with the strength of institutions before it begins with the abundance of resources.
Wishing you continued good health and well-being.
Monday, 29 June 2026
Email: Shglawi55@gmail.com