WB announces $9.13M grant to expand scope of Egypt’s Greater Cairo air pollution management project

CAIRO - 1 March 2023: The World Bank announced on Wednesday a $9.13 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with the aim of expanding the scope of the Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project.

“This grant will reinforce the environmental benefits of the original project, both at the local and global levels, by improving the management of electronic and healthcare waste,” the WB said in a statement.

Approved in 2021, the project backs the Egyptian efforts to curb pollution in Greater Cairo, a home to millions of Egyptians, by reducing car emissions, improving the solid waste management system, and enhancing the air and climate decision-making system.

In statements today, Minister of Environment Yassmine Fouad said the environmental benefits of the project will be promoted at the local and international levels via improving the management of E-waste and healthcare.

Fouad said that the grant will contribute to improving the sectors of healthcare and digital transformation as main priorities for Egypt and supporting the developmental efforts that pays attention to the health of the citizens and achieve means of sustainable living.

Fouad highlighted the importance of this grant at a time of increasing need to manage the health and E-waste and expanding the systems of healthcare.

“The generation of healthcare waste is rapidly increasing in Egypt, as in other countries, as a result of COVID-19, expanding healthcare systems, increased utilization of single-use items, and poor waste segregation practices,” the WB said.

Minister of International Cooperation has stressed that the expansion of the Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project falls within the framework of the Egyptian government’s commitment to a green transition.

This comes “by utilizing innovative methods to enhance the management of electronic and healthcare waste, primarily taking into account the health of citizens,” Mashat stressed.

The minister affirmed that the project’s development would also support Egypt’s climate strategy 2050 through the creation of a “regulatory environment with data-driven decisions and awareness on the management of waste and recycling.”