Mubarak gives five assignments for maintaining environment
Egypt, Economics, 5/30/2002

Egyptian President Mubarak reviewed at an expanded ministerial meeting yesterday a strategy for protecting environment. This is the second meeting President Mubarak holds this week.

The President last Sunday presided over a meeting at which he reviewed plan for modernization of the Egyptian industry to give Egyptian products the ability to compete on world markets.

Minister of Information Safwat AL Sherif said the President gave the following directives:

1- A concerted national action should be taken to bring about an overall modernization in the fields of agriculture, industry and services. The environment dimension should be taken into consideration.

2- The environment dimension should be taken into consideration in any industrial or agricultural feasibility study because the economic return, on the national level, will otherwise be spent to deal with negative and side effects of the project.

3- To protect the environment is not a luxury. This is an effort to preserve natural resources. For future generation, it represents an asset in the form of subterranean resources and water, natural reserves and fighting air pollution.

4- President Mubarak gave directives that the green belts around Cairo and industrial cities should be maintained to improve the climate and improve the environment.

5- President Mubarak said that the people should be made aware of the importance of the environment and its effect on daily life and public health. The President stressed the importance of the role of radio, television and the press.

6- The role of voluntary Non-Governmental Organizations should be strengthened because environment protection needs the participation of citizens who are the first to benefit.

7- There should be strict control on everything that affects drinking water. The ministry of health should make daily analysis of drinking water.

There also should be control on bottled mineral water and the companies engaged in this field to ensure that they comply with specifications.

8- President Mubarak underlined the importance of the role of women in rural and urban areas as they represent an important and basic element in preserving the environment and protecting the health of the family and, consequently, society.

9- The President directed that attention should be given to agricultural environment and "clean agriculture" in new areas, which represents an added value, by increasing the competitive ability of Egyptian agricultural products that are exported abroad and should be compatible with international standards.

The Minister of Information said President Mubarak gave several assignments to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet:

1- Commitment to complete the program to improve the quality of water through control of the sources of sanitary drainage according to definite timetables up to 2008. A four-stage plan was presented to the President.

2- To draw up a plan to deal with pollution in the (industrial) Helwan area (south of Cairo) as regards the waste of the cement and iron and steel factories.

A medium and long-range plan should be drawn up to lower industrial pollution gradually.

3- Continual control to measure the rate of air pollution in major cities and to activate elements to reduce these rates as contained in the program of the environment ministry.

President Mubarak warned against carrying out any projects that might affect the environment near antiquities, tourist or coastal areas anywhere in Egypt.

President Mubarak listened to a report from the oil minister on a plan to use natural gas in means of transport and in environment-polluting industries and power stations.

4- The government should, in collaboration with the governorates, draw up a binding plan to continue steps to remove workshops and environment-polluting industries outside residential areas.

5- President Mubarak asked the Prime Minister to take immediate steps to declare the Siwa area a natural reserve. Executive steps should be initiated at once.

The Minister of Information said that the axes and the basic principles of the environment plan are follows:

1. To deepen the concept of coordination and partnership with the private sector and enhance its role in the field of environment services.

2. To include the role of women in environment policies and plans.

3. To use the mechanisms of the economic market in preserving the environment and natural resources.

4. Egypt should fulfill its environment obligations at the international and regional levels.

5. To strengthen the potentials of the environment authority and its regional branches.

The Minister of Information outlined the executive environment program as follows:

First: Safe use of processed sanitary water to set up forest areas to contribute to stabilizing sand land, improve the air and create temporary and permanent job opportunities for youth.

Afforestation projects and expanding green areas. The Minister of the environment said that plant nurseries are being set up in several governorates and the ministry of the environment is giving support to the efforts of governorates in the field of afforestation and expanding green areas and green belts to fight desertification.

Second: A program to protect the Nile and water resources and shores. The first stage is to stop throwing polluting industrial drainage into the Nile from 334 industrial establishments.

This stage will be carried out with self-finance to the tune of 360 million pounds. Five stations will be set up to receive the waste of river boats in Cairo, Minia, Souhag, Assiut and Aswan with a funding of 15 million pounds.

The second stage is to complete the first stage by stopping throwing polluting industrial waste into branch canals.

This will be carried out at an estimate cost of 120 million pounds. The third stage is to stop dispensing of polluting industrial drainage in northern lakes.

The project will be carried out at an estimated cost of 260 million pounds.

The fourth stage is to stop throwing polluting industrial drainage to Egyptian coasts on the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Suez at an estimated cost of 200 million pounds.

The Minister of the Environment explained that self-finance of environment project will be made possible through the contributions of owners of factories and projects, donations and easy-term loans from financial institutions and environment projection funds.

Third: The national program to deal with solid waste. President Mubarak listened to a report on the experience of the Alexandria governorate in carrying out a project to remove garbage from homes and washing and cleaning the main and branch streets.

The governor of Alexandria gave a report on the project that began in November last year.

He explained that no additional burdens were placed on people of limited income.

The governor of Cairo explained that contracts would be signed with foreign companies in the coming three weeks to carry out a project similar to that carried out in Alexandria.

The governor of Giza reported on a project to deal with solid waste in Giza.

The Minister of the Environment said that solid waste is estimated at 60 million tons annually. It includes 15 tons of garbage and the remainder is agricultural and industrial and hospital waste.

Fourth: An integrated environment and air quality program to reduce the rates of air pollution to protect public health. The quality of air is measured at 42 stations.

The Minister referred to the use of natural gas in means of transport and the removal of polluting workshops and industries outside populated areas.

Removal of industries and workshops outside populated areas will cost 1.8 billion pounds that will be provided through self-finance from companies and industrial establishments, easy loans and donations from the German reconstruction bank, the European investment bank and the World Bank.

Fifth: programs of environment-friendly industrial cities and areas that aim at making industrial establishments conform to environment protection rules. The 10th of Ramadan City will be declared an environment-friendly city. Other industrial cities will be following.

Sixth: A program to run natural reserves and protect nature. The Minister of the Environment said that there are 21 natural reserves that cover about 8 percent of the total area of Egypt. The number is expected to rise to 40 reserves in the coming years covering 17 percent of Egypt's total area.

Seventh: Programs of education and environment awareness at the media level.

Eighth: Environment-training program for youth and youth readerships at schools, in the sector of health, environment education and the media.

It supports programs of non governmental organizations and supports the role of women.

Ninth: Programs of environment information systems.

Tenth: A program to transfer environment-friendly clean information.

The Minister of the Environment said that an experiment was being carried out to use electricity-powered buses in the pyramids plateau to protect antiquities against pollution.

Eleventh: A program to support the ability of the environment authority and its regional branches.

Twelfth: A program of support systems of environment management.

The Minister of the Environment referred to a policy to expand the setting up of timber forests all over Egypt and to set up "clean cities" and to run natural reserves and make them attract tourists.

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