CAIRO – Egypt’s Environment Minister Yassmin Fouad lauded Egyptian-Jordanian cooperation in the environmental tourism domain.
She referred to the twinning between Egypt’s Ras Muhammed reserve in South Sinai and Jordan’s Aqaba Marine Reserve, saying coordination is under way to make a twinning between Saint Catherine reserve and Jordan’s Wadi Rum in terms of being UNESCO world cultural heritage sites.
The minister made the statements during her meeting with Princess Dana Firas, vice president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites on the sidelines of a reception organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport.
The minister unveiled a joint project with Jordan, named “a safe haven for wildlife in Wadi El-Rayan reserve in Fayoum,” that will help boost ecotourism in Egypt.
The project, based on Jordan’s Al-Mawa (“shelter”) for Nature and Wildlife, aims to resettle animal and plant species that are endangered or almost extinct in their natural habitat.
Fouad said Egypt has attached great importance over the past few years to merge local communities and tribes in the management of nature reserves to play a key role in protecting them.
The move has helped members of local communities to display their hand-made products featuring their heritage and reflecting their connectedness with nature, the minister said.
She underlined the importance of the private sector’s role in developing Egyptian protectorates to ensure their efficient management.
Princess Dana, on her part, underlined the importance of preserving the cultural and environmental heritage of local communities.
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