Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aati, followed up on Sunday during a meeting with a host of his ministry officials progress on the project for enhancing adaptation to climate change in the North Coast and the Nile Delta.
The minister described the climate change-induced rise in sea levels as a ‘major challenge’ for countries with extended coasts around the world.
Coastal areas in the Delta, the minister said, are low-lying, which exposes them to drowning in sea water.
The minister noted that the Nile Delta in Egypt stands at the heart of effects from climate change.
“This makes the protection of coastal areas against current and future climate changes an issue of utmost importance,” the minister said.
He said the protection of these areas would also protect people living in them, along with the investments made in these areas.
Minister Abdel-Aati said the Nile Delta in Egypt is home to huge industrial, agricultural and tourist investments.
Therefore, the protection of this area, he added, would preserve our country’s wealth for future generations.
The minister noted that the protection of the northern coast and the Nile Delta against climate change covers 69kilometres in the northern coast area.
He added that the project includes the establishment of early warning stations at different depths in the Mediterranean.
These stations, he said, would obtain data about storm waves and sudden natural phenomena.
“The project also includes the implementation of an integrated management plan for coastal areas along the North Coast,” Minister Abdel-Aati said.
This plan, he said, aims to preserve investments and natural resources in the coastal areas.
He expected the implementation of the plan, called Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan, to be completed before the end of 2025.
