Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, held a meeting with the World Bank’s technical mission in Egypt to discuss joint cooperation on various projects, including the development of a national blue economy strategy, MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) systems, and the Greater Cairo Air Pollution and Climate Change Management Project.
The meeting was attended by senior World Bank officials, including Maria Sarraf, Regional Practice Manager for Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy for the Middle East and North Africa, and Stéphane Guimbert, the World Bank’s Regional Director, as well as Dr. Ali Abu Sena, Head of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and representatives from both the Ministry of Environment and the World Bank.
Dr. Fouad highlighted the potential for collaboration in key environmental areas, including fisheries management, coral reef assessment, and reducing marine pollution.
She emphasized Egypt’s upcoming handover of the chairmanship of the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) to Jordan, underscoring the need for sustainable marine policies.
Egypt currently operates two national committees focused on fisheries—one dedicated to lakes, which includes experts from various universities, and another recently established committee focused on marine environment planning, biodiversity, and social dimensions.
The minister also announced that Egypt will soon begin implementing the Egyptian Red Sea Initiative for Coral Reef Conservation, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She invited the World Bank to contribute by conducting a valuation of Red Sea coral reefs to help prioritize conservation efforts. Studies have shown that the Red Sea’s coral reefs are among the most resilient to climate change, with strong self-recovery potential.
Dr. Fouad proposed leveraging the World Bank’s expertise to support the preparation of Egypt’s blue economy strategy. She also discussed restructuring the ministry’s Central Disaster Management Department to improve responses to oil spill incidents, as well as strengthening the role of the "Regional Center for Oil Spill Response" in Hurghada.
Furthermore, the discussion covered the digitalization of the MRV system, which the World Bank helped design. This system is being developed in collaboration with relevant ministries to create a comprehensive database using internationally recognized climate models, ensuring more accurate national climate reports.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the "Greater Cairo Air Pollution and Climate Change Management Project", implemented in collaboration with the World Bank. The World Bank delegation praised Egypt’s significant progress in improving air quality and tackling the "black cloud" phenomenon caused by agricultural waste burning. The closure of illegal dumpsites, such as the "Abu Zaabal landfill", was highlighted as a key achievement.
Maria Sarraf reaffirmed the "World Bank’s commitment to supporting Egypt’s blue economy strategy" , particularly in the Red Sea region, focusing on sustainable fisheries, tourism, and attracting new investment. She noted that the bank is already running blue economy programs in Saudi Arabia and "Yemen", providing valuable expertise that Egypt could benefit from.
She also announced that the World Bank will release a "new fisheries report in March" , identifying promising opportunities in the sector. Additionally, the bank plans to host a stakeholder consultation event to discuss blue economy financing and capacity-building initiatives, in collaboration with Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences and other relevant organizations.
Egypt and the World Bank are set to deepen their cooperation in environmental sustainability and the blue economy, ensuring long-term economic and ecological benefits for the country’s marine and coastal resources.
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