Cairo: Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr. Hani Sweilam, has announced serious measures to address climate challenges, including the launch of the second phase of the “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast and Nile Delta” project. This initiative, conducted in collaboration with the UNDP, explores sand nourishment techniques in northern Delta regions to counter the effects of climate change.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Sweilam highlighted the success of the project’s first phase, which has gained international recognition as a pioneering coastal protection effort. He emphasized the importance of implementing on-the-ground adaptation projects, such as coastal protection measures, to safeguard infrastructure, maximize the benefits of existing and future developments, and promote integrated coastal zone management.

Local communities have played a crucial role in utilizing nature-based solutions, including cost-effective, eco-friendly materials from the surrounding environment. The minister stressed the need to build upon the project’s first-phase outcomes-set for completion in 2026-by conducting comprehensive studies with development partners covering the entire North Coast. Additionally, the project incorporates advanced mathematical models for early warning systems.

The project, funded by a $31.4 million grant from the Green Climate Fund in partnership with the UNDP, spans 69 kilometers across five coastal governorates: Port Said, Damietta, Dakahlia, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Beheira. It aims to combat rising sea levels and extreme weather events, protect citizens, infrastructure, and agricultural lands, and establish monitoring stations along the Mediterranean to track changes in waves, wind patterns, and sea levels. Furthermore, it includes the development of an integrated management plan for Egypt’s northern coastal zones.