CAIRO – The Egyptian government has updated its sustainable development strategy to better cope with new and emerging challenges, including population growth, climate change and water scarcity, the planning minister said.
Speaking via video conference in a debate organised by the Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC) on the fringe of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Hala el-Saeed talked about the direct impact of climate change, which is still beyond the ability of Africa and the Middle East region to adapt.
Adaptation remains a top priority of Egypt, Africa and the Arab world, Saeed told the session. Truly, Africa and the Middle East bear little blame for the greenhouse gas emissions, but they suffer the most from repercussions that are beyond their ability to adapt, the minister acknowledged.
Water – though not included in the Paris Agreement – remains an integral aspect of efforts to counter climate change, Saeed said. Climate change is increasingly affecting water security by the day, she noted.
But there is also huge cross-border projects that constitute a threat to water security and agriculture, the minister further said.
She reviewed Egypt’s efforts to cope with the new and emerging challenges, while taking into consideration regional geopolitical changes and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The second phase of a national structural reform programme has already been launched with the aim to foster economic resilience so as to achieve Balanced Inclusive Green Growth (BIGG), Saeid told the gathering.
A guide about “Environment Sustainability Standards” has been issued to define measures needed to outline a green investment plan, the minister said. Indeed, 30 per cent of investment projects to be implemented in 2021-2022 are green, she noted.
Egypt, Saeed said, was the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to issue green bonds worth 750 million dollars with the aim to bankroll the green projects, especially where clean transportation is concerned.
The private sector in Egypt is in the process of issuing its own green bonds at a total value ranging between 120 and 200 million dollars, she added.
The minister touched upon three national strategies the government intends to apply for the economy to go green, namely the national strategy for climate change, the national strategy for hydrogen and the national strategy for water resources. A group of economic incentives will as well be offered to help boost the green economy, she noted.
Saeed also talked about projects that are meant to enhance Egypt’s ability to adapt with climate change. One such project is the rehabilitation and cultivation of 1.5 million feddans with the aim to achieve food security, especially in light of land degradation and erosion in the Nile Delta region, the minister cited.
Another project is meant to renovate and renew the national grid of water canals at a total cost of 68.5 billion pounds, she said, adding that it comes as part of efforts to upgrade irrigation methods and improve the efficiency of water use.
Adaptation, as a global goal under the Paris Agreement, will top the agenda of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), which should take place in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh next year, Saeed concluded.
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