Egypt's Ministry of Environment is preparing a new programme aimed at combating air pollution and climate change in Greater Cairo, in cooperation with the World Bank and the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation.
Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad has met with a delegation from the bank to follow up on preparations for the new programme, which will be one of the bank’s largest environmental programmes in the Middle East, according to a statement by the ministry on Tuesday.
Fouad said the new programme aims to implement measures that will address the issues of waste and air pollutants like exhaust gas, which she said are troubling to citizens.
The ministry said in the statement that it has completed the technical studies necessary to design the programme.
In its meeting with the World Bank, the ministry presented some of the different measures that have been taken by the Egyptian government to fight air pollution and climate change, especially in Cairo.
According to the ministry statement, the government is supporting the introduction of environmentally friendly electric vehicles that should contribute to reducing harmful emissions and improve air quality in the city.
Air quality forecast for the upcoming days in Greater Cairo (Source: Ministry of Environment)
According to a report by the World Bank published in October, the annual cost of the health effects of ambient air pollution in Greater Cairo was estimated at EGP 47 billion in the 2016/2017 fiscal year, equivalent to 1.35 percent of GDP.
The environment ministry has also been implementing programmes to increase the efficiency of the waste management system, including the National Solid Waste Management Program (NSWMP) and the Sustainable Persistent Organic Pollutants Management Project (POPs).
The Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation announced in October that the World Bank will support its solid waste management projects with funding worth $500 million.
Also in October, two electric bus prototypes were inaugurated in Egypt by the military production ministry, in an deal with the manufacturer, China’s Foton Motor company. The company will be providing Egypt with 50 buses according to the agreement, and Egyptian military factories will later begin manufacturing the buses domestically.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said last Wednesday that Egypt is going to manufacture electric buses in 2020 to operate in the country’s new cities, including the New Administrative Capital, as well as other major cities across the country.