Water and the effects of the climate crisis on water scarcity will come under scrutiny on Monday at the Cop27 UN climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh as it enters its second week.

The talks are scheduled to end on Friday, though it is likely they will continue at least into Saturday, with new measures and pledges hoped for on issues from greenhouse gas emissions cuts to financial assistance for the poorest nations.

As well as the formal negotiations, the Egyptian hosts have organised a series of “thematic days”, on which discussions will take place on issues that are key to the climate crisis but fall outside the UN framework convention on climate change, the 1992 treaty under which the 27th conference is taking place.

Water is of particular concern to the hosts, as the Nile is still the backbone of the Egyptian economy, agriculture and culture. Some wonder how the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where 45,000 delegates have gathered for the talks, will manage for water in the future.