"RI": For the first time in Egypt's history... Risk maps guide development and investment decisions on the Northern Coast
Cairo – Hanaa El-Sayed: Dr. Hany Swelem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, opened the activities of the workshop presenting the outcomes of the project “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Coast and Nile Delta,” and the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan. The event was organized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), attended by Chitoshi Neguchi, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi, Deputy Resident Representative and Director of Climate Change Programs at UNDP, Eng. Mohamed Ghitas, Chairman of the Coastal Protection Authority, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed, Project Director, and a number of representatives from the Cabinet, various ministries, and coastal governorates.
In his speech, Dr. Swelem extended his greetings to the UNDP, all national partners, and the distinguished staff of the Egyptian General Authority for Coastal Protection and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, who have exerted considerable effort to achieve valuable scientific and technical outcomes. These outcomes represent a crucial milestone in the Egyptian state’s journey to enhance climate change adaptation along Egypt’s northern coasts, marking the beginning of a new phase of joint national action and planning for the integrated management and development of coastal areas. This approach aims to strengthen the resilience of Egypt’s coasts to climate change and preserve state assets for future generations.
He stated, “Today, we have a real opportunity to build correctly on our coasts from the outset, relying on science, data, and risk maps. For the first time in Egypt’s history, we possess risk maps covering the entire Mediterranean coast of Egypt, based on the latest scientific models. These maps have proven that the coast is a single, interconnected system, and that any intervention in one area may affect other areas several kilometers away. Therefore, any coastal project—whether a road, port, city, hospital, or investment initiative—must be designed in light of these risk maps, and climate change adaptation considerations must be integrated at the planning stage, not after implementation. Today, we are laying the foundations that will guide development and investment decisions on Egypt’s coasts for decades to come.”
He clarified that the “Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan Document” is not merely a plan for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, but a national document and a framework for the entire Egyptian state. He noted that the success of coastal management depends on the integration of roles among all relevant entities, including the ministries of investment, housing, transport, tourism, environment, agriculture, industry, local development, and coastal governorates. This requires a unified approach based on data sharing and integrated decision-making, where coastal zone management begins with urban planning, selection of development sites, early warning systems, and early response, extending to coastal protection. This is the direction the Ministry seeks to consolidate in Egypt, while enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange with countries that have leading experiences in this field.
He pointed out that mathematical models have demonstrated that the continuous protection and maintenance works carried out by the Coastal Protection Authority have succeeded in protecting thousands of feddans in the Nile Delta from inundation due to rising sea levels. This underscores that the Egyptian state’s investment in coastal protection is an investment that safeguards the future of the Delta, preserving lives, assets, and investments.
He added that, in addition to the challenges of inundation and erosion addressed through coastal protection projects, the intrusion of saltwater into the subsurface and groundwater constitutes another challenge that could negatively impact agricultural lands, infrastructure, roads, facilities, and the sustainability of existing investments. Consequently, the Egyptian state’s responsibility extends beyond protecting the present to safeguarding what will be built in the coming decades.
For her part, Chitoshi Neguchi, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, emphasized that the completion of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan represents a significant milestone, hoping it will contribute to improving the lives and livelihoods of populations along Egypt’s northern coast. She added that the journey toward effective implementation is still in its early stages, and that UNDP remains fully committed to supporting the Egyptian government in implementing the plan, protecting coastal communities, and enhancing the resilience of populations and ecosystems to the impacts of sea-level rise and climate change.
