Cairo: Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad described the Green Sharm El Sheikh project as a journey filled with challenges to strike a balance between economic growth and natural resource management. The ministry initially focused on building trust among various stakeholders and implementing preliminary actions. These include changing the management approach for nature reserves, as well as imposing fees and reviewing licenses for marine activities to reduce environmental infringements, thereby creating an eco-tourism product, Fouad told a panel discussion titled “Accelerating Local Climate Action and Green Urban Transformation for Inclusive, Sustainable, and Resilient Cities” during the 12th session of the World Urban Forum, hosted by Cairo.

According to State Information Service Egypt, she noted that upcoming efforts will concentrate on developing policies to expand the project and involve more stakeholders, especially non-tourism private sectors, including renewable energy generation projects. Additionally,
there will be a focus on governance and financing policies, defining roles and responsibilities, and securing further funding to ensure long-term sustainability, incorporating the city’s socio-economic dimension, the minister said.

She added that although the United Nations Development Programme contributed $7 million to the project, the cost of implementing city greening measures ahead of the COP27 Climate Conference amounted to EGP 15 billion, with 39 projects completed in just 10 months.