Sherif El-Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, and Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, recently convened a comprehensive meeting with officials from both ministries. Their discussions covered several collaborative work areas, including waste management, formulating a national green building and urban development strategy, and optimizing the tourism potential of natural reserves. El-Sherbini emphasized the Ministry's commitment to enhancing cooperation with the Environment Ministry, to benefit the nation and its citizens. He advised ministry entities to maximize the utilization of various waste types, encouraging recycling and aiming for environmental goals while establishing sustainable funding sources. Fouad welcomed the partnership with the Ministry of Housing in preparation for the upcoming World Urban Forum, which Egypt will host in November. This collaboration involves executing presidential directives to develop the national green urban development strategy, which will be launched during the forum. She also highlighted cooperation on climate change aspects within the forum's agenda, along with initiatives related to green buildings, resilience, and adaptation. Additionally, the forum will feature activities such as air quality monitoring and measuring carbon dioxide reduction from national projects, including the electric train, as part of sustainability efforts. Fouad emphasized the need to establish standards for waste collection companies in large residential areas and ensure contracts with certified and licensed firms. For North Coast villages, waste disposal will be directed to the Hammam City landfill. She noted that the integrated waste management complex in the 10th of Ramadan City, developed in collaboration with the World Bank, is expected to be designed by early 2025. Several units within this complex can be used for relocating and closing the Obour landfill. Both Cairo and Qalyubeya governorates have submitted an environmental impact assessment for the closure, which has been approved. Once completed, the company operating at the Obour landfill will be granted approval to move to the 10th of Ramadan landfill, initiating the relocation plan. Regarding treatment plants, Fouad mentioned that the ministry inspects these facilities, allowing non-compliant plants a 15-day period to submit a compliance plan. The Ministry of Environment encourages voluntary compliance by offering support through low-interest loans under the Industrial Pollution Control Program (Phase III). She also highlighted investment opportunities in lands managed by the Tourism Development Authority, considering environmental and natural resource conservation requirements. By identifying the ecological sensitivity of these lands, their potential for eco-friendly investment practices can be determined, all while preserving environmental resources. During the meeting, waste management received extensive attention, focusing on maximizing the use of sludge and conducting studies to apply global standards. The recycling of demolition and construction waste, as well as solid waste, was also addressed. Discussions included centralized waste collection areas in new cities and the implementation of a comprehensive waste collection system with associated fees to attract investors. The ministers also discussed corrective measures to ensure that factories in governorates and new cities treat industrial wastewater according to legal standards before it enters networks and treatment plants. This approach aims to preserve the condition of these systems. Additionally, they explored strategies to maximize the tourism benefits of natural reserves, aligning with environmental laws and regulations and positioning Egypt on the global eco-tourism map by leveraging its significant resources in this field. Furthermore, the ministers reviewed cooperation in preparing for the World Urban Forum that Egypt will host in November, the development of the national green urban development strategy for its launch at the forum, and the progress of the Great Transfiguration Project over the Land of Peace in St. Catherine City, among other topics.
