National projects of LE1.80B to protect Egypt’s shores from climate change impacts

CAIRO – 14 December 2020: Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is implementing vital national projects with a total cost of about LE1.80 billion covering the Mediterranean coast, within the framework of the state's plan to protect Egyptian shores from the dangers of climate change impacts.

These projects funded in cooperation with the Green Climate Fund affiliated with the United Nations. It aims at reducing the risks of coastal floods in the delta, developing an integrated plan for managing coastal areas in the Mediterranean coast in Egypt to deal with long-term climate change risks and enhancing capacities to adapt to coastal flood risks.

The projects that have been implemented contributed to protecting investments estimated at about LE 300 billion, to counter the increase in erosion rates in Egypt's northern coasts since the end of the 19th century according to the ministry.

The Green Climate Fund is providing $ 31.5 million as a grant to establish protection systems with a length of 69 km for the lowlands in the coasts of the Nile River, which are threatened with drowning due to the rise in sea levels associated with the phenomenon of climate change.

Egypt has been affected by climate change as it faces water shortage, rising sea level, and seashore erosion. Egypt is a signatory to the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement aiming to keep global warming “well below” two degrees celsius.