Monday, 25 May 2026
Supplied photo
Egypt: Social media water challenge endangers supplies
Egyptian authorities have sounded the alarm over a popular social media challenge known as the "Glowing Turmeric Trend," warning that it poses risks to the country’s already-scarce water resources.
In recent days, the viral trend—also called the “Turmeric Water Challenge”—has swept across platforms like Instagram and TikTok, accumulating millions of views and widespread participation, particularly among younger audiences.
The challenge involves placing turmeric into a glass of drinking water, shining a light on it in a darkened room, and filming the resulting golden glow—purportedly said to be relaxing and visually pleasing.
While seemingly harmless, officials stress that repeating the experiment across thousands of households amounts to substantial waste of precious drinking water.
In a statement, the Drinking Water and Wastewater Company of Luxor, a southern Egyptian province, described the trend as “entirely unacceptable.” The company's chairman, Major General Ahmed Ramadan, emphasized that such “recreational experiments” reflect a dangerous lack of awareness about the value of water in Egypt.
He called on families and educators to prevent children from imitating the challenge, and suggested using non-potable water if the goal is simply to produce video content.
“Excessive or irresponsible consumption of drinking water,” said Ramadan, “is a behavior that requires public awareness and strong opposition,” especially given the severe challenges Egypt faces.
Chronic water shortages
Egypt’s vulnerability to water shortages is extreme: with a population now exceeding 105 million and almost exclusive dependence on the Nile River for 97% of its freshwater needs, the country is rapidly approaching the “water poverty line.” Rising population, climate change, and an unresolved dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have exacerbated the crisis.
Dr. Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Irrigation, has warned that a shortfall of just one billion cubic meters of water per year could cause 290,000 Egyptians to lose sources of income, wipe out 130,000 acres of farmland, and force the country to increase food imports by $150 million. He highlighted that the per capita share of water in Egypt is now only 564 cubic meters annually—dangerously close to the global threshold for water scarcity.
Each year, Egypt’s total renewable water resources stand at about 59.6 billion cubic meters. The country manages to recycle some 21 billion cubic meters of water annually, but still relies heavily on food imports to make up for the gap between water supply and the needs of its citizens.
In light of these facts, authorities are urging Egyptians to use water responsibly—reminding the public that every drop counts. “We must all work together to protect vital resources for future generations,” said Ramadan.
The Egyptian government continues public awareness campaigns and is encouraging international partners to support sustainable water management in the face of mounting environmental and demographic pressures.