On the National Environment Day 2025: The Sustainable Development Forum in North Sinai Explores Ways to Empower Civil Society

As part of a partnership between the Egyptian Sustainable Development Forum (ESDF), the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) and the Environmental Protection Association in Arish, the local coordinator for the Sustainable Development Forum in North Sinai Governorate, an extensive consultative session was held to discuss crisis and disaster management and the role of civil society in enhancing community resilience. This session was organized under the Local Sustainable Development Forums initiative launched by the Arab Office for Youth and Environment, under the patronage of the Ministries of Environment and Social Solidarity.

The consultative session was held in celebration of National Environment Day 2025, an initiative announced this year by the Arab Office for Youth and Environment under the theme: “The Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems Nexus (WEFE Nexus): Foundations of Sustainability.” The event also aligned with collaboration efforts involving local entities in North Sinai and community-based organizations, forming part of a series of meetings conducted under the activities of local Sustainable Development Forums across various governorates. These meetings aim to raise awareness and build capacities in local communities by integrating and localizing sustainability dimensions within local development strategies and programs.

The session saw the participation of environmental stakeholders and executive leaders in the governorate, alongside representatives from community-based organizations and youth and women’s organizations. The discussions addressed several topics, including the importance of environmental awareness in mitigating climate change, the identification of risks and disasters, early warning and prediction techniques, and preparedness strategies—particularly in relation to climate-related risks. Additionally, the session shed light on key environmental issues, focusing on the central theme of National Environment Day 2025: the critical interconnections between water, energy, food and ecosystems as foundational pillars for achieving sustainable development.

This session, the first in a planned series of meetings under the activities of the local Sustainable Development Forum in North Sinai, emphasized the vital role played by the local forum in sustainable development. Participants stressed the need to strengthen this role through collective efforts with all stakeholders to unify visions on enhancing local community resilience. The session concluded with recommendations to expand networking and coordination frameworks among governmental, civil, and private sectors to reduce the adverse impacts of various environmental risks and disasters.