CAIRO – Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yassmin Fouad said that the Red Sea coral reefs are the most resilient worldwide as climate change further warms the atmosphere, noting that the UN Climate Conference (COP27) has made an announcement to preserve the Red Sea reefs against all forms of pollution and incorrect practices.
The minister’s remarks were made during a ceremony held at Hurghada to mark the launching of three new diving sites off the Red Sea resort, which will adopt an approach of diving that protects that coral reefs and help in tourism development.
Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafy and five Arab environment ministers (Jordan, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and Yemen) are attending the ceremony.
The launching of the new diving sites comes as part of cooperation between the Egyptian government, the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a galaxy of scientists and diving fans in the Red Sea.
Also, a cooperation protocol was activated between the Red Sea and the Armed Forces on dumping old military equipment at the bottom of the Red Sea.
Fouad said the Ministry is attaching special importance to the issue of preserving the Red Sea reefs through establishing new sites that could ease pressures on current sites with the aim of enhancing sustainable tourism that could attract fans of the maritime activities from diverse world countries.
Such new sites, where military equipment will be dumped would also attract explorers and would have a key historic importance, the minister added, adding that costs of establishing new sites will be covered within one year which is a new type of investment in our natural resources.
