Cairo: Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad met with Khaled Fahmy, Executive Director of the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), to discuss enhancing cooperation in addressing environmental challenges and implementing the ministry's vision.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting was attended by key officials, including Sherif Abdel Rahim, CEO of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and Raouf Saad, the minister's advisor for multilateral agreements. The discussions centered on future environmental projects and provincial adaptation plans to tackle climate change effects, with a focus on the Egyptian Red Sea Initiative (ERSI) aimed at protecting coral reefs.

Awad explained that the meeting reviewed the ERSI initiative and the establishment of the Egyptian Fund for Coral Reefs (EFCR) to achieve financial and operational sustainability for protecting Egypt's Red Sea coral reefs. The initiative includes integrated objectives such as establishing a sustainable financing mechanism, strengthening marine protected areas management, and creating a coral reef business incubator.

The project also aims to identify and protect coral reef sites that can adapt to rising global sea temperatures. Awad directed the prompt implementation of the project, emphasizing CEDARE's role in supporting the ministry through the initiative's steering committee.

Furthermore, the meeting addressed sustainable development planning in Egypt through modeling and simulation tools to assist decision-makers in evaluating policy impacts and aligning economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Awad noted plans to establish a policy-making unit within the ministry for assessing sustainable development goals.

Khaled Fahmy expressed enthusiasm for cooperation with the ministry on shared environmental issues, emphasizing CEDARE's role as a non-profit organization supporting environmental ministries across Arab member states.