World Environment Day |Egypt Promotes Environmental Awareness and Climate Action

Egypt’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) marked World Environment Day by publishing an interview with Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad, who emphasized that environmental protection begins with individual behavior and requires collective action to confront climate change.

The initiative forms part of the center’s efforts to raise public awareness of environmental and development issues through its social media platforms. The interview highlighted the importance of sustainable practices, environmental responsibility, and Egypt’s ongoing efforts to adapt to climate change and protect natural resources.

World Environment Day, observed annually on June 5, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and has become the world’s largest environmental awareness campaign, promoting global action to address climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Awad said environmental protection is no longer solely the responsibility of governments and institutions but a shared duty that starts with everyday actions by citizens.

She encouraged individuals to conserve water and electricity, reduce the use of single-use plastics, properly dispose of waste, plant trees, and rely more on public transportation and walking to help reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality.

“Every action, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in confronting climate change and preserving natural resources for future generations,” the minister said.

Awad also warned that climate change is increasingly affecting Egypt and the wider Middle East and North Africa region through rising temperatures, sea-level rise, desertification, pressure on water resources, extreme weather events, and impacts on agriculture, public health, tourism, and urban areas.

She noted that Egypt has given unprecedented attention to climate issues in recent years through a range of adaptation and mitigation measures. These include restructuring the National Council for Climate Change, launching the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, implementing projects to strengthen climate resilience along the North Coast and Nile Delta, and developing national adaptation plans across governorates.

The minister also highlighted investments in clean transportation, including the expansion of Cairo’s metro network and the electric high-speed rail project, as well as efforts to increase renewable energy production and improve energy efficiency.

Furthermore, Egypt has continued its drive to transform major tourism destinations, including Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, into greener and more sustainable cities.

The awareness campaign stressed that environmental protection, resource conservation, cleaner transportation, and the expansion of green spaces are essential to reducing emissions and improving quality of life, while collective action remains critical to addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change.