Air pollution has been a challenging problem for Egypt for years, particularly in heavily populated regions like Greater Cairo and the Nile Delta.
Fouad noted that the ministry's efforts to reduce air pollution include the construction of 114 monitoring stations, up from 90 stations in 2016, to observe the quality of ambient air, a statement by the cabinet said.
The minister added that the efforts also included linking 85 industrial facilities to the National Network for Monitoring Industrial Emissions with 418 chimneys, changing the exhaust system on more than 17,000 vehicles, and establishing 38 noise monitoring stations in 13 governorates.
Minister Fouad also said that a green nursery was established on five acres in the city of Kharja in the New Valley Governorate, and the Al-Tabin area saw the planting of 3,000 trees in order to reduce pollutants.
Also, the ministry provided environmental support by planting 20,000 trees and seedlings for schools, universities, institutes, NGOs, and neighborhoods, in addition to supplying more than 106,000 trees a part of the Presidential Initiative Decent Life.
The minister pointed out that 5,726 programs and activities have been implemented to raise environmental awareness.
This is in addition to the launch of a new advertising campaign to raise awareness of the danger of using single-use plastic bags and to introduce environmentally friendly alternatives.
“Environmental inspections were conducted on 4,270 establishments working in various environmental fields, and the environmental status of 300 facilities was inspected to ensure their emissions did not exceed permissible limits,” Fouad said.
Egypt has been speeding up its transition to a green economy and increased its efforts to reduce emissions as it prepares to host the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27).
As part of Egypt's commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and COP26’s outcomes, President El-Sisi has assured that Egypt would seek during COP27 to enhance international climate action and achieve the goals of the Paris agreement.
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