Towards a green economy…the efforts adopted by Egypt to confront climate change

Towards a green economy…the efforts adopted by Egypt to confront climate change

Before I address the environmental problemsand the distinguished efforts made by the state to solve everything that affects Egyptian society, let us first begin with a cautionary message:

Human behavior must be changed;Because it is the quickest solution to eliminating any environmental and global issue.. Start with yourself; What is the value of the fact that we cost billions to improve the environmental and standard of living and the behavior of the individual is constant and does not change?!

Egypt is always making extraordinary efforts in an attempt to confront climate change that the world is facing. 30% of the investment projects implemented by the state are green projects, and it will reach 50% during the year 2024.

The climate change file is considered one of the most important files in the world, so that Egypt has become a pioneer in that file and first in the world. Because of the policies and measures it has taken to confront climate change; Therefore, we propose to form a department for research, development, and solving climate change problems.

Creation of a research and development department in the field of environment and climate change:

The Department of Research and Development in the field of environment and climate change was established in 2020; To confront the various climate changes facing the world, and be concerned with permanent research in the field of the environment and the future climate changes that Egypt will face in the coming years, and finding solutions to confront them.

It is necessary to raise environmental awareness of the necessity of confronting the risks of climate change, and to strengthen the private sector’s partnership in financing green and environmentally friendly activities.

The National Climate Change Strategy 2050 was also launched; To raise the level of coordination between all ministries and stakeholders; To confront the risks and threats of climate change; By developing various policies and programs that help adapt to the threats of climate change, by strengthening the governance and management of work in the field of climate change, increasing flexibility and ability to adapt to climate change, and improving infrastructure; To support climate activities and enhance scientific research, we propose several points to confront the challenges and problems of climate change.

 International financing institutions:

Egypt cooperated with many international financial institutions to confront climate change, including the World Bank, to providethe necessary financial support for sustainable development projects.

TowardsGreen Economy:

We find that the environmental dimension is among the conditions for financing modern projects, so that no project is financed that could increase the severity and risks of climate change. With the aim of expanding environmentally friendly projects and transitioning to a green economy; To protect environmental resources, reduce pollution and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that are harmful to the atmosphere and cause global warming, to limit the rise in temperatures.

 Water Resources Issue:

The issue of water resources became one of the important issues on the political scene during the sixties and beyond of the last century, as it became one of the important topics on the international negotiating table, and also gained the attention of researchers from various sectors. The search began for objective and innovative solutions to rationalize water use, as well as the search for alternatives through desalination of seawater and the like, especially with the emergence of water crises in multiple regions of the world due to the scarcity of water resources and the increasing severity of climate change. In addition to the increasing demand for water; Due to unbalanced demographic growth worldwide, as well as the growth of water-consuming economic sectors; Which led to the emergence of international conflicts over water resources.

The problem becomes more severe with developing countries, and takes a different turn. Considering that the issue of development and growth for developing countries is the most important issue of all, in light of the suffering of most of these countries from structural issues; The most important of which are unemployment, inflation, population growth, increasing poverty rates, and other issues that make the goal of increasing growth a strategic goal, and there is no alternative to achieving it.

The most important reasons for the deterioration of water resources are due to the increasing demand and consumption due to human activities, the deterioration resulting from pollution, the increasing incidence of water-related diseases, the loss and deterioration of freshwater ecosystems, and global climate change that affects the supply and demand for water… In addition to the limited local water resources in many countries; Which means increasing dependence on shared water resources.

In light of these increasing pressureswater management in general, and its scarcity in particular, has become increasingly difficult. Therefore, we suggest adding the role of water accounting as an input to managing water scarcity in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Although the concept of water accounting itself is relatively new, information on water resources in Egypt has been collected since the time of the Pharaohs. To determine the timing of the flood, but the main problem lies in the water resources sector in Egypt, in the absence of correlation between these data. To determine its adequacy, comprehensiveness and accuracy, the information gap that must be covered, and the shortcomings to be overcome.

Add to the above: what cannot be measured cannot be managed efficiently and effectively, and hence the importance of calculating more accurate and clear indicators using the water accounting information system appears; Hence, the article aims to present a logical methodology. To link information.

Egypt suffers from a deficit in water resources; Being a country in semi-arid regions; The per capita share in Egypt does not exceed (500) cubic metres, while the per capita share of Nile water internationally reached (1000) cubic meters per year per person, which confirms that Egypt suffers from a real scarcity problem in water resources, and one of the most important reasons for the increase in the severity of this problem is population inflation, as the population growth rate in Egypt during the first decade of the second millennium was about (2.5%), which is one of the highest global rates, even if it is This percentage has decreased in the recent period, in keeping with the economic reform program, where the efforts of many parties have combined, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Endowments, and others. In an attempt to reduce this percentage, it reached about 1.5% annually.

The issue of climate change is also one of the issues that has negatively affected and exacerbated the problem of water scarcity globally, regionally, and at the local level. Although there are also many other reasons that are no less important, related to social and environmental conditions, which negatively affect the increase in the rates of pollution of Egyptian water resources, and contribute to the misuse of those resources, and what also increases this problem is the increase in Pressure on the use of water resources for the purposes of the ambitious economic development program adopted by the Egyptian government, which depends on increasing economic growth rates in all industrial, agricultural, urban sectors, and other sectors, which will increase the demand for the use of water resources, which already suffer from a severe deficit that threatens Egyptian water security and increases its challenges.

Especially in the need to challenge priorities for the optimal use of water resources, and calculate the cost and return for different uses of water resources, using the water accounting methodology, by integrating and analyzing water data with financial data; By using the accounting analysis method for these water data, based on actual and expected uses, as well as analyzing the costs of obtaining and distributing those water resources with the aim of optimally using all water resources, and achieving the highest economic return from distributing those aforementioned resources, as well as reducing water waste rates, and improving water security indicators in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Questions asked:

1. Can the water accounting approach be used to reallocate and rationalize water wastage with the aim of optimally using water resources, reducing water waste rates, and thus improving water security indicators in Egypt?
2. Are water resources management policies consistent with the principles of economic theory?
3. Is it possible to benefit from water accounting principles in reducing water wastage rates in the Arab Republic of Egypt?
4. Does using water financial analysis methods help in reallocating water resources? Which contributes to maximizing the value of rational use of water resources and improving water security indicators in Egypt?

Stay tuned for more environmental issues and how to find solutions for them in the upcoming issues.