Tourists swim in the sea in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, (Reuters)
The announcement was made by South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda during a meeting on Monday with Sierra Leone's ambassador in Cairo, Sadiq Silla, where they discussed inking twinning agreements between Sharm El-Sheikh and Sierra Leonean cities to enhance cooperation in the fields of sports, tourism and culture.
The country is pressing ahead with efforts to turn the coastal city, which will host COP27 between 7-18 November, into an eco-friendly, sustainable and integrated tourism city, with many projects to increase green spaces citywide and boost reliance on renewables used for transportation and hotels.
More than 30 environment-related projects were rolled out recently in the city, said Fouda during Monday's meeting, reported Egyptian state news agency MENA.
The country's plans for Sharm El-Sheikh include developing its 30-feddan central park in accordance with sustainability criteria, convert the city's hotels to renewable energy sources and apply a new system for solid waste management through the private sector.
In addition, work is underway to upgrade Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital to become the first green medical facility in Egypt and Africa through eco-friendly tools.
The South Sinai governor also said that six new public squares were added to the Red Sea resort city as part of the ongoing upgrade to roads and bridges to improve traffic movement.
Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport has been expanded to accommodate 10 million tourists annually instead of 7.5 million, he added.
Sharm El-Sheikh's projects are part of the country's National Climate Change Strategy 2050, which will chart a map for each governorate's smart green projects, connecting them with funding agencies and attracting the necessary investments.
Green projects are the linchpin of the country's preparations for COP27, Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN climate change high-level champion for Egypt, said on Saturday.
Earlier this month, Egypt launched the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects, with the aim of linking local development action to related global efforts.
Mohieldin explained that COP27 preparations include the five major regional roundtables, through which Egypt aims to showcase at COP27 the best climate change projects on all continents.
Furthermore, Egypt strives to find the best financing tools for climate projects by drawing up plans according to each country’s budget as well as getting the private sector, civil society and different financing entities involved in financing and implementation, he added.
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