Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, held a meeting with representatives of the World Bank, via video conference, to discuss the current situation of the air pollution and climate change management project in Greater Cairo, which is being implemented by the government in cooperation with the Bank at a value of $200 million, in the presence of Dr. Ali Abu Sunna, head of the Environmental Affairs Agency, and Dr. Mohamed Hassan, Project Manager.
During the meeting, the minister praised the bank’s continuous support to the Ministry of Environment, especially during the preparation period and the holding of the COP27 climate conference, and support for the Waste Management Initiative for Africa 50 by 2050, while the representative of the World Bank confirmed their keenness to secure the necessary support in the basic aspects of facing challenges, identifying areas of progress and requirements for moving forward. forward through teamwork.
The meeting reviewed the progress achieved in the course of the project over the past 18 months, and the challenges and emergency obstacles, in the various components of the project, namely (solid waste management, air quality improvement, climate change, communication, awareness and community participation), and the mechanisms for accelerating the completion of the plan. Project work, to accelerate the pace of implementation.
The minister pointed out the distinction of this project in linking climate change and air quality, to help the state move forward in this file, prepare new messages to control the black cloud, and benefit from the project in strengthening the system and infrastructure established by the Ministry of Environment in the field of air quality, from By enhancing the collection and management of information to assist decision makers and making information available to citizens, within the framework of the project’s goal to build a supportive climate in Egypt to reduce air pollution and confront the negative effects of climate change.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad confirmed that the implementation of the Tenth of Ramadan Complex for Waste Management within the solid waste management component of the project will be a pioneering model for implementation, as the bidding documents for the infrastructure of the Tenth of Ramadan Complex have been completed at a value of $17 million. Solid waste management, also health and COVID-19 component.
The minister also indicated the necessity of activating the climate change component, especially after what we harvested from the outputs of the COP27 climate conference, and the upcoming meeting of the National Council for Climate Change to develop a road map for the post-climate conference, in light of the many documents issued by the Egyptian government, such as the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050 and the Contributions Plan. The updated national and country report on climate change, and paved the way for further integration of the climate change dimension into development sectors, and benefiting from the climate change component in the field of technical support, capacity building and studies that build on the momentum achieved from the COP27 climate conference.
The meeting also included a presentation of the latest developments in the sustainable transport component, where consulting companies were mobilized to study the detailed planning and design of the electric bus project, as well as the communication, awareness, behavior change and community participation component, and the presentation of the work experience with Qalyubia Governorate through the Community Participation Unit in many Activities aimed at integrating the informal sector into the waste management system, and changing behavior in the field of sustainable transport.
It is worth noting that the Air Pollution and Climate Change Management Project in Greater Cairo aims to reduce the emission of air pollutants and climate change in vital sectors in Greater Cairo and to enhance the ability to optimally manage and confront air pollution. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with the Ministries of International Cooperation, Planning and Economic Development. And local development, transportation, health and population, and the governorates of Cairo, Qalyubia, Giza, and the Public Transport Authority in Cairo.
