Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad, Agriculture Minister El Sayyed el Quseir and Local Development Minister Hisham Amna had a meeting on Friday to discuss a plan of action to confront episodes of severe air pollution, known as the “black cloud”.
At the beginning of the meeting, Fouad lauded the success of the applied system of confronting severe air pollution episodes over the past years, thanks to the integration and joint coordination between all ministries and relevant authorities in this regard.
She further noted that efforts exerted on this score contributed to transforming the major challenge into an economic opportunity, and transforming the crisis into an economic product that generates a financial return instead of burning it and causing air pollution.
Fouad also stressed the special importance of the efforts exerted through the system applied to confront the recurring annual phenomenon known as “black cloud” this year, which coincides with Egypt’s hosting of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC in Sharm El Sheikh in November, deeming this system as an ” inspiring success story” that Egypt achieved to address climate change.
The results of applying this system during the past few years led to an increase in farmers’ awareness of the economic importance of rice straw and the harm of burning it, as it has become a commodity of economic value, the minister said.
For his part, the agriculture minister said that his ministry is seeking to maximize the benefit from all agricultural waste, not just rice straw, and to recycle it, create an added value and increase the return for farmers and breeders.
He further noted that waste recycling will result in an increase in the quantities of organic fertilizers and the production of non-conventional fodders.
The local development minister, for his part, said that his ministry began to coordinate with the governors of Cairo, Giza, Qalyubia, Gharbia, Kafr El Sheikh, Sharqiya and Dakahlia to implement the ministerial tasks and recommendations agreed upon by the committee concerned with following up on this important file during the months of September, October and November of each year.
Source: State Information Service Egypt