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Environment Committee
Cultural diversity and the environment AmCham Egypt’s Environment Committee, chaired by Dr. Adli Bishay, met on October 23 with internationally recognized author Dr. Milad Hanna to discuss "cultural diversity and the environment." The speaker explained that cultural diversity deals with historic, human and geographic factors, while the environment covers issues such as water, air pollution and waste management. Cultural diversity is therefore linked to the environment, just as much as it is a reflection of society. Two excellent examples are the United States and Sudan, Dr. Hanna said. The United States, the speaker pointed out, is known as a "melting pot," where people remain individuals while integrating their unique cultures into one system. Sudan, on the other hand, is characterized by cultural barriers that divide north from south, and this has helped to create greater tension between the two parts of the country. Dr. Hanna commended the Egyptian environment ministry for its efforts to improve conditions in Egypt by increasing cultural understanding and promoting environmental awareness. Environmental problems will not be solved unless a proper cultural atmosphere is created in the country, he said. Dr. Hanna also discussed cultural diversity in terms of religion. Considering the future, he concluded that more aggressive action should be planned and taken in this area. U.S. special negotiator speaks on climate change Ambassador Mark G. Hambly addressed AmCham Egypt’s Environment Committee on July 19 on the topic of global climate change. Hambly looked particularly at international negotiations concerning climate change, the significance of the U.S.-Egyptian bilateral relationship in dealing with the issue, and possible ways the private sector could contribute. Environmental issues are also economic issues, Hambly stressed, and preservation of the environment is vital to Egypt’s business interests. Research on global warming first came to international attention in 1988, when a convention was held and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was created. A number of developing countries subsequently signed an agreement of principles. Differences remain, Hambly said, but these will be dealt with at another international conference in November. Egyptian-U.S. cooperation has produced several projects aiming for clean air and water, as well as development of structures for environmental management. The ambassador lauded Egyptian efforts to promote the use of cleaner fuels based on natural gas. Private businesses in Egypt will find numerous environment-related endeavors in which to cooperate with U.S. partners, Hambly said. Science, he added, will play a key role in fighting pollution, an area that also promises numerous opportunities for private sector initiatives. Cairo air: initiatives to improve and protect it was the subject of the Environment Committee meeting on May 29, with guest speaker Mr. Gilbert Richard, chairman of the Cairo Air Improvement Project (CAIP). The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in partnership with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the Organization for Energy Planning (OEP). Its goal is to initiate and implement measures to reduce air pollutants that have serious impacts on health in Cairo, especially suspended particulates and lead. The prime contractor, Chemonics International, is providing project management, technical expertise, training and new equipment to support the Government of Egypt in its first interventions to improve fuel efficiency. The second aim is the reduction of exhaust emissions from gasoline-fueled vehicles licensed in Cairo through vehicle-emission testing, enhancing tune-up capabilities and initiating vehicle-certification requirements (VET). And thirdly, CAIP is promoting the reduction of suspended particulate emissions from diesel-fueled buses through expanded use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in public municipal bus fleets. The contractor will also support the implementation of the government’s lead smelter action plan, whose goal is to reduce airborne lead emissions from lead smelters and relocate them to industrial areas. Finally, the company will institute an air-quality monitoring and analysis program to collect baseline data and measure the results, following implementation of the governments’ interventions. The project’s activities also include public awareness and communication and training programs to enhance understanding of air-quality issues among the public. Exploring environmental opportunities in Egypt In an Environment Committee meeting held on April 10, 2000, chaired by Mr. Adli Bishai, the topic was "Exploring environmental opportunities in Egypt." The speaker, Mr. Ahmed Osman El Kholei, who is the Capacity 21 national unit coordinator at the National Environment Action Plan stressed the need for cross-sectoral coordination, central-local coordination, information sharing and need to build technical capacities for interested parties. The aim of NEAP is "to create an enabling environment, conducive to sustain development of Egypt by introducing a gender-anchored, holistic, participatory planning process that creates partnership between stakeholders, thus enabling interested parties to assume responsibility for implementing the identified projects." In the process of transforming Egypt to a market-oriented and private-led economy, a business-friendly environment must be created. The government must build partnership with investors where leaders of the private sector participate in public decision-making. It must also continue to implement national mega-projects to release congestion in the Old Valley and the Delta. Efforts to improve the lives of the poor by supporting small and microenterprises will become more efficient with the restructuring of the physical and social infrastructure. Duties of the NEAP include mobilizing public support and participation, generating and disseminating information, building the capacities of institutions and developing policy interventions to make strategic choices. The various and ongoing projects of NEAP include environmental and energy plans, future transportation systems and future land-use structures. The process of preparing the NEAP includes monitoring the strategic environmental issues and proposing strategies for working groups to develop programs and projects. The working groups will focus on such issues as water, land, air, waster and global environmental issues. Each working group consists of representatives from various interested parties. The action plan is to hold four regional consultations with the second consultation scheduled for October/November 2000. For parties interested, a series of investment packages will be prepared and circulated among relevant parties like FEI, chambers of commerce, banks and donors. Domestic and international issues in environmental legislation The Environment and Legal Affairs committees organized a joint meeting on January 30 focusing on domestic and international issues in environmental legislation. Guest speakers were Counselor Abdel Aziz El Guindi, former attorney general and chairman of Friends of the Environment (Alexandria), and Dr. Ahmed Rifaat, professor of public international law and dean of the Faculty of Law, Cairo University (Beni Suef Branch). Cairo’s solid-waste problems and possible local solutions Guest speakers at the December 22 meeting were Laila Kamel, director of the Center for International Development; Dr. Nader Ragheb, professor at the National Research Center; and Dr. Nefissa Aboul Seoud, director of the Hazardous Substances Unit at the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs. The group discussed Cairo’s solid-waste problems and possible local solutions.
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