Cairo: Yasmin Fouad, the Minister of Environment, held a meeting with representatives from the Chinese company Sino-Way, which operates in the field of afforestation and forest restoration, to discuss ways of collaborating on forest planting and afforestation projects. The meeting was attended by Dr Ali Abou Sinha, Head of the Environmental Affairs Agency, Dr Mohamed Salem, Consultant for Nature Conservation, Ms Suha Taher, Head of the Central Administration for International Cooperation and Climate Change, Mr Tian Chi Qiang, General Manager of Sino-Way, Mr Bang, the Project Manager, and Mr Walid Abou Riya, General Manager of the company in Egypt.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Dr Yasmin Fouad listened to a presentation from the company regarding its vision for expanding its operations in Egypt through the implementation of pioneering projects in the fields of afforestation and environmental restoration of wetlands and degraded areas, reducing carbon emissions, restoring degraded lands, industrial afforestation, and forest management, in addition to experience exchange programmes in soil science, forestry, and biodiversity. Dr Yasmin Fouad learned about the technology provided by the company in the field of forest planting and afforestation, including seed ball technology, which aids in forest planting by utilising moisture present in the soil and air as a water source. This approach addresses the impacts of climate change while simultaneously combating desertification.

The company also presented models of afforestation and forest planting projects it has implemented in various countries, including the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Tunisia. The Minister of Environment emphasised the importance of ensuring that the technology used for forest planting in Egypt aligns with the challenge of water scarcity, so as not to add further strain. She also highlighted the mechanisms for benefiting from this project in the area of carbon credits, especially with Egypt launching its first voluntary carbon market.

The representative of the Chinese company confirmed that forest planting is an effective solution for reducing carbon emissions, which is something China has resorted to, particularly in light of the challenge of losing a million hectares of cultivated land each year, exacerbating the challenges of climate change and desertification. This was also affirmed by the recent climate and desertification conferences, which stressed the importance of relying on forest planting and land restoration technologies as effective and sustainable solutions. He affirmed that Sino-Way collaborates with local governments to rapidly restore natural ecosystems, improve rainfall patterns, enhance environmental sustainability, and promote carbon neutrality goals through partnerships with industry stakeholders and carbon trading in forests, contributing to carbon neutrality objectives.