Under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment and in collaboration with the Arab Office for Youth and Environment (AOYE), Dr. Yasmin Fouad, the Minister of Environment, launched the first session of the community dialogue organized by the ministry and the AOYE. This session is titled “Climate Change: Current Situation and Future Prospects” and is part of the new government program involving representatives from the Greater Cairo region, which includes Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia. The event took place at the Cairo Environmental Cultural Educational Center, “Cairo House” in Fustat.

 

Dr. Fouad emphasized that the community dialogues established under the environmental axis of the new government program will be held annually on various topics across different governorates. She noted that this year’s sessions will focus on climate change, aiming to raise awareness of the National Climate Change Strategy 2050. The dialogues will also facilitate the exchange of ideas and discussion of community initiatives that can contribute to national priorities and mitigate the impacts of climate change in Egypt.

 

The opening remarks for the first community dialogue session featured contributions from Dr. Emad Adly, Chairman of the AOYE, and Eng. Samah Saleh, Head of the Sustainable Development Unit and the Women’s Unit at the Ministry of Environment. Furthermore, Eng. Lydia Aliwa, General Director of Projects and Technology at the Central Administration for Climate Change, presented the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, outlining its objectives, key efforts, and achievements made under the strategy, as well as national directions to stimulate its implementation.

 

Moreover, Dr. Mohamed Hassan, Director of the Air Pollution and Climate Change Management Project for Greater Cairo, provided an overview of the project’s goals and objectives. The session concluded with an open discussion addressing several key topics, including the main impacts of climate change at the local level and their effects on various development sectors. Also, it addressed the mechanisms for localizing the National Climate Change Strategy 2050 within development programs and policies, the essential roles of civil society and specialized sectors in achieving the objectives of this strategy and the opportunities for networking to enhance effective communication among relevant stakeholders.