Egypt Sets Up 122 Air Quality Warning Points

The Egyptian Ministry of Environment has established over 122 early warning points for air quality in most of the country's governorates. This initiative is part of broader efforts to combat the infamous "black cloud" phenomenon.

Concurrently, a recent United Nations environmental report emphasized the urgent need for widespread early warning systems to protect the world from weather and climate disasters in the next five years. The report highlighted the necessity for approximately $1.5 billion in investments to fund this critical step and establish early warning systems.

Dr. Mustafa Murad, Head of the Central Administration for Air Quality, stated that the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with several other ministries, has successfully tackled severe air pollution episodes, commonly referred to in the media as the "black cloud." 

The system for addressing these severe air pollution episodes operates on several key axes. These include monitoring and managing the collection, compression, and recycling of rice straw in governorates, and intensifying campaigns to reduce emissions from various potential pollution sources such as industrial facilities, vehicle exhaust, and random solid waste dumps.

In an exclusive statement to "Youm7," Dr. Murad explained that monitoring and surveillance are intensified through satellite imagery, early warning devices, and modern data analysis applications and air quality indicators. 

He also emphasized the activation of services to receive citizen complaints to prevent the open burning of rice straw and solid waste. Murad noted that severe pollution episodes occur due to increased concentrations of certain pollutants in the air, caused by unfavorable weather conditions. 

Additionally, these episodes are triggered by a meteorological phenomenon known as thermal inversion, which results in harmful gases being trapped close to the earth's surface. Coupled with calm winds, pollution remains stagnant in the atmosphere until weather conditions improve.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report revealed that nearly two-thirds of the world's population lacks coverage by early warning systems, with 60% of Africa's population unprotected. Over the past 50 years, weather, climate, or water-related disasters have occurred at a daily rate, and with the world's rising temperatures, these events have increased nearly fivefold in the past half-century. The report also launched an initiative to establish an early warning system valued at over $3 billion, aiming to protect the world's population from weather disasters by 2027.

By addressing the urgent need for early warning systems and highlighting Egypt's proactive measures, this article not only informs readers but also boosts SEO by focusing on critical environmental issues and solutions.