With an aim to tackle climate change, Dr. Rania Al Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, launched national consultations with the World Bank Group (WBG) to discuss the general framework for climate action and preparations for the climate and development report for Egypt.

Aiming to identify national mechanisms to assess climate change’s effects on the economy, the report will monitor national efforts for evaluation and follow up these efforts in cooperation with the WBG.

Al Mashat pointed out that multi-stakeholder consultations are necessary to prepare the report, highlighting climate change’s effects on various development sectors, emphasizing the agricultural sector.  

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A national committee will be convened to encompass line ministries and stakeholders to resume discussions on the priority sectors that the report shall focus on, she added.

Minister Fouad highlighted Egypt’s eagerness to take active steps and apply stringent measures in addressing climate change, including the reconfiguration of the National Council for Climate and encompass other economic sectors in an attempt to make climate action an integral part of the development sectors. 

The report will examine the effects of climate change on the economy, she explained, adding that the agricultural sector has been identified as one of the priority sectors that was not given due attention like the energy sector.

She added that the creation of the action plan with the WBG would need the recognition of the national priorities and the gaps in linking climate change to the economy, identifying its impact on economic sectors and how the state could take appropriate measures through policy making and the allocation of financial resources to different projects.

Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al Mashat (left), Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Al-Sayed Al-Quseir (center), and Marina Wes, Regional Director of WBG in Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti

Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Al-Sayed Al-Quseir, agreed with Fouad, emphasizing the agricultural sector as the most affected by climate change, pointing out the need to determine the magnitude of the challenges facing each sector and the expected effects of climate change before laying down priorities.

Attending the meeting were Ayat Soliman, Regional Director of the World Bank Group's Sustainable Development Department for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region; and Mrs. Marina Wes, Regional Director of the World Bank office in Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti.

Wes praised the Egyptian government for its collaboration in reducing the effects of climate change, noting that the World Bank Group seeks to support national efforts in terms of climate action, given the importance of these initiatives to enhance national and regional development efforts led by Egypt.

Soliman emphasized climate change as a threat to all countries, requiring collective effort by all stakeholders to advance Egypt's sustainable development plan, and praised the participation of all state ministries and stakeholders in facilitating the process of collecting the data required for the issuance of the report.

Related > MoICMin and WBG’s Soliman talk climate change and developing rural communities

Participants also included representatives of many ministries and stakeholders, including ministries of trade, industry, transport, petroleum and mineral resources, irrigation, local development, planning and economic development, agriculture, housing, health, electricity; along with representatives from the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and several other national institutions.

Fouad added that the Ministry of Environment is currently preparing to launch the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction with the support of state ministries and the Green Climate Fund, which aims to attract investments to engage the private sector in climate action plans.

Minister Al Mashat praised the successful partnership between Egypt and the World Bank Group, pointing out that the World Bank Group is one of Egypt’s strategic development partners. The WBG supports several national efforts towards developing numerous sectors, including transport, housing, utilities, and environment.

Al Mashat explained that that development financing agreements signed with the WBG in 2020 amounted to $1.5 billion, showcasing her ministry’s efforts to consolidate economic relations with multilateral and bilateral development partners to support Egypt’s Vision 2030 and accelerate the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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The ongoing development cooperation portfolio between the Ministry of International Cooperation and the World Bank Group includes 17 projects worth $5.8 billion to support various sectors, including education, health, transportation, social solidarity, petroleum, housing, sanitation, local development and the environment.