Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilam reviewed on Wednesday the efforts made by his ministry in the field of adaptation to the negative effects of climate change.
This came during a meeting with Ragab Abdel Azim, Undersecretary of the Ministry and Supervisor of the Minister’s Office; and Mohamed Ahmed, Executive Director of the Project for Enhancing Adaptation to Climate Changes in the North Coast and Nile Delta.
During the meeting, Sweilam said that Egypt has successful experiences in this field, noting that the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) represents an opportunity to present these successful Egyptian experiences and exchange them with the rest of the world.
The minister also reviewed the executive position of the Project for Enhancing Adaptation to Climate Changes in the North Coast and Nile Delta, which is funded by a grant from the Green Climate Fund in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme with a value of $31.40m.
The project aims to confront the rise in sea levels and severe weather phenomena that affect critical low coastal areas and the intrusion of sea water by establishing protections with lengths of about 69 km in five coastal governorates — Port Said, Damietta, Daqahleya, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Beheira.
It also includes establishing monitoring stations on the Mediterranean to acquire data related to sea levels and wind activity, as well as developing an integrated management plan for the country’s North Coast to preserve investments and natural resources in coastal areas, as well as emphasising the principle of sustainable development.
This project is characterised by the implementation of pioneering experiments in the use of low-cost technologies and materials from the environment surrounding the project area in protection works, including the establishment of a number of beach bridges to protect low areas and sand fenders to collect sand by the wind during sand storms.
