Rédaction Africa Links 24 with MENA
Published on 2024-03-13 10:26:02
The Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) and the Ministry of Local Development have recently signed a €38.8 million contract for the establishment of four waste management plants. This project will be funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as part of the Kitchener Drain Depollution Project- Solid Waste Programme, which was approved in November 2018.
The main goal of this project is to ensure that there are adequate waste collection, transfer, and treatment facilities to accommodate the projected waste generation in the area. The contract was signed by Chairman of the organization’s Arab British for Dynamics Industries (ABD) Maj. Gen. Ismael Sayed and Deputy Minister of Local Development for National Projects Hesham al-Helbawy. The cooperation between the ministry and AOI has been hailed as fruitful by the organization’s chief Mokhtar Abdel Latif.
This initiative is in line with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s directives to bolster the State’s solid waste management system, as it plays a crucial role in improving citizens’ living conditions, reducing pollution rates, strengthening the national waste management industry, and creating new job opportunities. The Kitchener Drain, a 69 km agricultural drain passing through the Nile Delta governorates of Gharbia, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Dakahlia, is the focus of this project.
The EBRD has identified the Kitchener Drain as one of the most severely polluted drains in Egypt, causing significant environmental, economic, and social harm. The pollution in this drain comes from various sources, including poorly treated or untreated domestic wastewater, uncontrolled municipal solid waste disposal, industrial wastewater discharge, and pollutants from the agricultural drainage system.
The integrated program will be the first of its kind in Egypt, testing a new cross-sectoral approach to support the depollution of the Mediterranean Sea and improve the health and environmental conditions of those living in the drain catchment area. It will also work to strengthen the economy by improving irrigation water quality in the three governorates.
Through this project, the management of municipal solid waste in the targeted governorates will be significantly improved, which will have a positive impact on the health of the population in the area. Over 5 million people in the 11 districts of the three governorates will have access to improved waste services, and existing waste accumulations on open dump sites will be rehabilitated and closed.
Overall, this project is a significant step towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly waste management system in Egypt. It showcases the importance of international cooperation and funding in addressing environmental challenges and improving the quality of life for communities.
Read Original article on Egypt Independent
