Citizens involvement to make their environment beautiful; Complete environmental database setup
Egypt under leadership of President Hosni Mubarak has acquired for the first time in its history the most complete environmental database in the Middle East and Africa, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid said, adding that the database will be an invaluable tool in carrying out a comprehensive plan for the environment and in formulating legislation for environmental protection.
During their last visit to Egypt, Arab leaders praised the cleanliness of the capital's streets and expansion of its green areas, which testifies to Egypt's pioneering efforts in this field, Ebeid said in a speech yesterday in Alexandria at the opening of the 9th regional workshop for Environment Associations.
Winners of "Egypt's Beautiful Coasts" competition were awarded prizes at the gathering.
Minister of State for Environmental Affairs, Mamdouh Riyad and Alexandria Governor, Mohamed Abd El Salaam Mahgoub attended the workshop.
Ebeid unveiled a nationwide waste disposal and recycling campaign, in which governorates and the Environment Ministry will be cooperating.
The prime minister also called a national tree-planting project, in which 14 million families would be involved. Each family would be responsible for a tree for ten years, he said.
"This will be an investment, as each tree would be worth LE100 within a decade," he said, adding that the 19 million students in Egypt's schools and universities might also participate in the tree scheme.
Ebeid referred to the great achievements of the 1952 Revolution in land reclamation and agricultural development of the desert to the west of the Delta.
The Aswan High Dam is considered one of the most important accomplishments of the Revolution as it helped the expansion of Egyptian agricultural land, which now account for one-third of Egypt's total area, he said.
The dam promoted sound management of the nation's water resources and protected Egypt's quota of Nile water, he said.
Ebeid stressed that the nation's youth have a crucial role play in future development, and lauded the efforts of national institutions for environment conservation.