Egypt secures $10B in concessional funding to implement projects in water, food, energy and transport sectors

This comes in the light of efforts to mobilize concessional development funding and strengthen international partnerships to implement the National Climate Change Agenda 2050, and the nationally determined contributions of NDCs, in order to stimulate the transition to a green economy and in conjunction with Egypt's hosting and chairing of the COP27 climate conference.

 

The concessional development funding mobilized and agreed upon since the launch of the National Green Enterprise Platform (NWFE) was about $ 10.3 billion for the 9 projects in water, food and energy, along with the transport sector, including $2 billion in private sector investment to stimulate its participation in development efforts, promote its participation in development plans and transition to a green economy, and drive the transition to a green economy.

 

These funds are the culmination of national efforts over the past months, ongoing coordination between national actors and multilateral and bilateral development partners, to stimulate green transformation and the implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy, nationally determined contributions NDCs, and a reflection of the importance of the program. As a leading national, regional and international model for mobilizing climate financing for priority projects, NWFE is a continuation of the State's development and climate plans since 2014.

 

It is worth mentioning that the total investments of the national platform projects "NWFE" program are worth $14.7 billion, including $10 billion for the energy sector, $1.35 billion for the water sector and $3.35 billion for the agriculture and food security sector.

 

I. Energy nexus
 

The Energy nexus of the National Green Projects Platform aims to convert thermal-powered power plants into renewable energy through the implementation of 10 gigawatt wind power projects to replace existing 5 MW thermal fuel plants, in the light of the National Sustainable Energy Strategy 2035 through which the State seeks to shift to clean energy.

 

The thermal power plants targeted by the project are located in Cairo, East Delta, West Delta and Central Delta, reflecting the overall development efforts being implemented by the State. The project also promotes the efficient exploitation of Egypt's natural resources, including wind power in the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea coast and Egypt's Upper Egypt.

 

The implementation of energy nexus projects within the national platform of the NWFE program promotes the implementation of the objectives of the National Climate Change Strategy for Sustainable Economic Growth and Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions, Low Emission Development in various sectors, with approximately 5.25 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, and is consistent with the sustainable development goals of clean energy, climate action and community sustainability. The project contributes $1.2 billion annually that was spent on providing the fuel needed to operate these plants.

 

II. Agriculture and Food Security nexus

 

Adaptation of crop production in the Nile Valley and Delta

 

The project aims to enhance the productivity of crops and adapt them to climate changes in the Nile Valley and Delta region, and to support smallholder farmers' capacities to adapt to the risks and ramifications of climate changes, reflecting on the residents of the Valley and Delta region and expected to benefit some 30 million Nile Valley and Delta residents.

 

The project enables smallholder farmers to withstand phenomena caused by climate changes and provides mechanisms and tools that enhance food security and understand the different risks of these changes, to maintain crop productivity, meet local needs and enhance food security by diversifying agricultural crops to increase income, deploy water-saving crops and resist high temperatures to reduce projected climate risks to crop productivity, and to introduce and deploy climate change adaptation techniques that will help communities most affected by climate change to reduce their losses and increase incomes.

 

The project is expected to achieve several results, including improved adaptability in the Nile Valley and Delta in areas expected to be exposed to climate change, an increase in crop productivity by 10-15 percent and an increase in income by 10-20 percent.

 

Adaptation in the northern delta region affected by sea level rise

 

The North Delta region's population is about 10 million citizens. The project enhances smallholders' capacity to implement adaptation and sea level rise policies, strengthening rural communities' response to disasters and impacts of sea level rise and promoting agricultural diversity for food security and increased incomes. The project targets the governorates of Kafr al-Sheikh, Al-Bakrah, Damietah and Port Said.

 

The project protects more than 5 million citizens and more than 2 million acres from the effects of sea-level rise, preserves the region's fertile agricultural area and saves the cost that can be spent on desert land for rehabilitation, with 1 million acres costing about $ 11 billion.

 

Flexibility in remote and most vulnerable areas

 

The project aims to increase the resilience of climate-vulnerable areas through specific interventions aimed at improving farmers' livelihoods. In desert and remote areas such as oases, oases, Sinai, the south-eastern part of Egypt... etc.), where the population of these areas is intended to benefit from the project's activities is approximately 5 million people.

 

Through the introduction of several adaptation techniques that will help vulnerable communities reduce losses, including overcoming the adverse effects of salinity on crop productivity, improving the use of annual rainwater, efficient harvesting, storage and loss reduction, increasing the efficiency of harvesting and storing rainwater in rainy areas, and developing, maintaining and rehabilitating natural pastures in rainy areas.

 

Modernization of irrigation systems in old agricultural land

 

The project aims to increase the efficiency of the irrigation process from 50 percent to 70 percent, promotes job creation for more than 21 thousand men and women most in need in rural areas, improves adaptability, reduces vulnerability and empowers communities at risk of climate change.

The project maximizes water resource returns by building the capacity of local NGOs and government officials to expand adaptation efforts to climate change. The project reduces irrigation water by 20 percent, increases crop production by 15 percent, and contributes to the provision of water to add 2.5 percent of the area to the cultivated land.

 

Establishment of early warning systems

 

The project aims to establish early warning units and systems to improve the weather forecasting system and support the services provided to farmers in the context of agricultural weather forecasting, and to establish an agricultural insurance system against the risks of climate change in vulnerable areas. Developing a database of agricultural information flow and analysis and enhancing modern agricultural extension, which contributes to building smallholder farmers' resilience to the consequences of climate change by disseminating recommendations for agricultural operations according to climate variables through the use of state-of-the-art technologies in the field of communication and digital information.

The project benefits 30 million citizens, provides early warning systems to farmers throughout the country and promotes increased productivity of agricultural crops and thus increased income.

 

III. Water nexus
 

Solar desalination
 

The project objective is the launch of 5 solar desalination plants in 4 governorates with a total capacity of 525 thousand cubic meters per day. It rises to 1.75 million cubic meters per day by 2050. The project aims to provide clean water to offset water shortages, promote green transformation and achieve sustainable development goals and implement nationally determined contributions as well as Egypt's Vision 2030.

 

Expansion of solar irrigation systems

 

Expand the use of solar irrigation by smallholder farmers and remote rural communities in order to reduce CO2 emissions and avoid the negative effects of future energy crises and their effects on food production and create a replicable model that can be used by other countries. Some 1.75 million citizens benefit from this project.

 

The project promotes sustainable agricultural practices and is consistent with the State's plan to increase reliance on renewable energy and reduce dependence on traditional energy sources that increase harmful emissions, as the Government plans to increase renewable energy production by about 42 percent by 2035.

 

Improving agricultural climate resilience by modernizing agricultural practices

 

The project promotes water efficiency and productivity and has some 7.5 million beneficiaries. The project will be implemented in old agricultural land using traditional irrigation and will enable the project to take effective measures in approximately 500 thousand acres covering several areas of the Nile Valley and Delta. The project includes a technical and training segment for project workers and field schools to promote the adoption of good practices in agriculture and irrigation.

 

The project is consistent with the objectives of the National Climate Change Strategy, achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth, reducing emissions and achieving low-carbon development, as well as enhancing efficiencies and flexibility and enhancing climate financing for infrastructure, and achieving the first, second and third sustainable development goals