In response to the population growth and global warming affecting Egypt, the World Bank will release $1.8 billion for the implementation of the “Egyptian Sustainable Cities Initiative” in several cities, starting with the capital Cairo.
This is one of the outcomes of the recently concluded 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt. The World Bank will provide $1.8 billion in funding for climate resilience in the land of the pharaohs through the “Egyptian Sustainable Cities Initiative”. The funds will support 33 projects in the areas of green economy, energy efficiency and green mobility, as well as the development of urban green spaces.
The initiative will be jointly led by Rania El-Mashat, the Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, and her counterpart Hisham Amna, in charge of Local Development, in collaboration with the private sector, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the governorates. It will initially be implemented in Greater Cairo, which is considered the economic and industrial centre of Egypt with an estimated population of 22 million.
Sustainable cities to counter global warming
“Urban activities (polluting industries and transport) are the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is therefore urgent to make cities an integral part of the solution in the fight against global warming in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030,” says Minister Hisham Amna.
As part of this project, the Egyptian government has also launched the Low Carbon Transport for Sustainable Urban Development (LCO2TUS) programme to stimulate climate action at public sites managed by municipalities.
At the same time, the “Golden Gate” is being built in the city of Al Masa, 45 km from Cairo. The project, implemented by the industrial group Redcon Construction through its subsidiary Rocc, aims to develop a smart city where connectivity and sustainable development meet in the new Egyptian administrative capital. The “Golden Gate” covers an area of 160,000 m2 and includes the construction of offices, shopping centres and several ecological housing units in five districts. At a total cost of 500 million Egyptian pounds ($26 million), the first phase of the project will be completed by June 2024.
