Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad witnessed on Sunday the signing of a protocol between the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the Academy of Scientific Research for cooperation in the fields of environmental preservation and climate change.
The agreement includes the application of scientific research outputs in the environmental sector, placing environmental challenges at the forefront of the research community’s attention and finding technological solutions to problems in environmental projects.
CEO of the EEAA Ali Abu Senna and Head of the Academy of Scientific Research Mahmoud Sakr signed the agreement.
The Minister of Environment pointed to the growing importance of scientific research with the increase in various challenges that require strengthening the role of science in confronting them and finding innovative solutions to serve the continuation of the quality of life and the preservation of resources.
She also explained that within the framework of the protocol, the Ministry of Environment avails capabilities and expertise to be used in the outputs of scientific research and provides the necessary human cadres to come up with technological solutions to the challenges to be solved.
It will also present environmental and industrial challenges to the research community for study and provide the required consultations and technical expertise, in addition to the establishment of joint workshops and conferences in the areas of environmental preservation and climate change.
Fouad emphasised that the protocol comes within the framework of national efforts to direct scientific research for development services, improve environmental services through modern scientific and technological methods, and achieve an added value for human resources by providing knowledge, information, and capacity-building to acquire distinct skills that help and contribute to achieving the desired economic development.
She also stressed her ministry’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with various governmental and non-governmental agencies, civil society, the private sector, and youths to work to achieve the environmental balance of natural resources and to integrate scientific research and national efforts to achieve economic development, improve environmental services, and rationalise the consumption of natural resources.
Additionally, Fouad witnessed the signing of a tripartite cooperation protocol between the EEAA, the academy, and Gabr-Tech to implement a pilot project for the rehabilitation and sanitation of coral reefs in the Red Sea.
The project will result in a study on best practices and methods in the rehabilitation and sanitation of coral reefs in the Red Sea, the implementation of surveys, the preparation of reports and statistics on the biological diversity in the study area, and the building of specialised technical cadres to spread awareness and training by benefiting from the programmes of the academy.
The minister indicated that the pilot project will be presented during the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November as a success story and an Egyptian pioneering experience in adapting to the effects of climate change.
