1st green road to be constructed in Wadi el-Hitan

Road construction to depend on recycling techniques and the addition of special emulsions to the soil.

Egyptian Minister of the Environment, Yasmine Fouad, gave the go-ahead on Sunday for the construction of the first green road in Wadi el-Hitan nature reserve, a world heritage site, in Fayoum Governorate.

The construction of the new road comes within the framework of Fouad’s ministry’s plans to develop nature reserves and manage them according to international systems.

This process, she said, aims to preserve these sites and maximize economic, recreational and social development opportunities in them.

‘We also work to provide a distinct and enjoyable experience for visitors to the reserves,’ the minister said.

‘This will contribute to the promotion of eco-tourism in Egypt,’ she added.

Minister Fouad explained that the new green road to be implemented in Wadi Al-Hitan would be 34 kilometers-long.

She added that the construction of the road would rely on the use of special emulsions that would be mixed with the soil.

‘Paving the road will also depend on modern technologies for recycling and the use of environmental methods that reduce emissions and noise,’ the minister said.

She added that the construction process of the road would also preserve the natural colour of the soil in the area where the road would be constructed.

‘This road would be an icon of the optimal use of recycling and the construction of green roads,’ Minister Fouad said.

She added that this is particularly true in the light of the environmental benefits of the construction of the road.

These benefits, she said, include preserving resources by recycling the same materials and creating raw materials from the soil of the site.

The same benefits, the minister added, also include the reduction of heat and noise emissions and promoting the construction of green roads for the protection of the environment.

‘The presence of green roads does not contradict development or hinder it,’ Minister Fouad said.

‘On the contrary, these roads compliment the development process,’ she added.

Minister Fouad expressed hopes that ongoing development in nature reserves around Egypt would open the door for awareness about the importance of what she described as ‘natural capital’. This capital, she said, is present in the nature reserves.

She said youth and all other members of society have to play a role in the protection of the environment and biological diversity.

‘They have to protect them for themselves and for future generations,’ the minister said.

Wadi Al-Hitan was included in the Green List of Protected Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2018.

The list is a global standard of best practices that provides certification for effectively and efficiently managed areas and demonstrates good governance, sound design and planning, effective management and positive conservation results.