Egypt holds 1st meeting for €408M Kitchener Drain Depollution project

 

The meeting included the participation of the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MOHUUC), Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Ministry of Local Development, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, governors of Kafr El Sheikh and Dakahlia governorates, as well as representatives of development partners, namely the European Union, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

 

 

During the meeting, Advisor to the Minister of International Cooperation and Supervisor of the European Cooperation Sector, Reda Bebars, asserted the significance of the role of the Ministry of International Cooperation to enhance coordination between ministries, governorates, and development partners at each stage in the project to achieve better and more efficient results.

 

 

For their part, representatives of development partners praised the concerted efforts by the Ministry of International Cooperation and its role in launching a technical committee to follow up and monitor on the progress of the project.

 

 

The meeting discussed a loan provided by the European Investment Bank worth € 213.9 million for wastewater treatment and collection, in addition to the grant provided by the European Union worth €25 million for rehabilitation of sanitation systems, which is currently being finalized through a signature agreement by the Ministry of Housing and the European Investment Bank to start its implementation.

 

 

Meanwhile, Ministry of Local Development reviewed the second component of the project related to solid waste management in Dakahlia Governorate, which is financed by a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development worth 79 million Euros.

 

 

Representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation presented the developments of the loan agreement to be provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development worth 69 million euros, as well as a grant of 12 million euros for the third component of the project for water purification through a pollutant monitoring system, which will enforce environmental laws and help control the level of pollutants in the water.

 

 

The new committee agreed that a joint implementation plan would be developed and that the Ministry of International Cooperation would play the role of the main coordinator of the project in order to enhance coordination between ministries and development partners.

 

 

Minister of International Cooperation added that the project will achieve several targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, namely Goal 3 for promoting good health and well-being of the citizens, Goal 6 for clean water and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, Goal 11 for sustainable cities and communities for green and sustainable living conditions, Goal 13 for climate action to protect the environment and promote new environmental technologies in Egypt and finally Goal 17 for partnerships to achieve development goals.