87 million euros and 5 recycling plants: A comprehensive plan to develop the waste management system in Kitchener
Cairo - Ahmed Sabri
Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Environment, held a meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Capital to monitor the implementation status of the Water Quality Improvement Project in the Kitchener Drain, focusing on solid waste management. The project is being implemented by the Ministry in the Gharbia, Dakahlia, and Kafr El Sheikh governorates, with financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) amounting to 79 million euros and a grant from the European Union totaling 8 million euros.
During the meeting, the Minister of Local Development and Environment reviewed the progress made in implementing the targeted projects aimed at developing an integrated solid waste management system in the concerned governorates. The project aims to establish five solid waste recycling plants in Dafra (Gharbia), Belqas (Dakahlia), Hamoul, Kafr El Sheikh, and Desouk (Kafr El Sheikh). These facilities are designed to enhance processing and recycling capacities in the governorates. The targeted completion date for the projects is the end of January 2027.
The project also includes the construction of two intermediate transfer stations, the rehabilitation and closure of the public dumpsite in Qalbasho, Dakahlia Governorate, and the development of eight garages and mechanical collection systems across the three governorates. Additionally, it involves supporting the waste collection and transportation system with various equipment, including loaders and waste collection and transport trucks with different capacities.
The Minister of Local Development and Environment directed the necessity of field follow-up and on-site inspections to assess the implementation progress of the projects, ensuring their completion according to the specified timelines and their integration into the solid waste management system. She emphasized the need to address any challenges or obstacles in coordination with the three governorates, thereby contributing to strengthening state efforts and achieving the project’s environmental and economic objectives, improving sanitation services for citizens, and ensuring the sustainability of the integrated solid waste management system—from waste collection, through processing and recycling, to the safe disposal of waste—in the three targeted governorates.
Dr. Manal Awad also directed the importance of communicating with the project implementing entities to accelerate work progress and complete the targeted projects, which will contribute to improving environmental quality and mitigating the negative impacts of waste accumulation. This effort aims to enhance the efficiency of the waste management system in areas along the Kitchener Drain, which stretches approximately 69 kilometers. This will maximize the efforts of the Ministry and the governorates in improving environmental service levels and support the sustainability of the waste management system in the three governorates, positively impacting citizen health and the environment.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Hisham Al-Hilbawi, Assistant Minister for National Projects; Yasser Abdullah, Head of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority; Dr. Abdo Mohamedin, Director of the Project Implementation Unit, along with representatives of the unit and the project’s implementing consultant.
