Cairo: Minister of Local Development and Environment Dr. Manal Awad held a meeting with a World Bank delegation and the project team for the Greater Cairo Air Pollution and Climate Change Management Project to discuss the project's implementation status.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Dr. Manal Awad reviewed the achievements and activities of the project components and their implementation status. She commended the efforts of the World Bank and the project team in implementing several successful development project models within the project's components.
The project's first component focuses on strengthening air quality management and response systems. Activities include establishing and operating networks for monitoring greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants. An integrated climate and air quality management plan is currently being implemented by an international consortium, and a "National Plan Committee for Integrated Climate and Air Quality Management" has been formed.
The Minister confirmed that the project enabled the ministry to enhance the air quality monitoring network by providing 57 monitoring stations for short-term climate pollutants and greenhouse gases. The project also developed air quality forecasting and early warning systems, and improved the decision support system and response mechanism.
Dr. Awad highlighted the importance of the air pollution component in achieving a real-time monitoring system and an integrated air quality management system. This initiative has created over 1,000 job opportunities, both direct and indirect, and built the capacity of 500 people.
In terms of reducing public transport vehicle emissions, Dr. Awad explained the supply of 20 electric buses for the Ministry of Transport's "Bus Rapid Transit" project, and 100 electric buses for the Public Transport Authority. The local manufacturing percentage for these vehicles exceeded 45%, and the Amreya depot was upgraded to accommodate these buses, making it the first electric bus depot in Egypt and a major facility in the Middle East region.
Dr. Awad also oversaw a study on the feasibility of charging electric buses using solar power. The minister affirmed that the project successfully transitioned Cairo's transportation system from fossil fuels to electric buses, fostered local industries, established vehicle emissions monitoring systems, raised awareness of modern technologies, built capacity among beneficiaries, and developed an implementation plan to expand the use of electric buses.