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Al-Ahram Weekly 16 - 22 December 1999 Issue No. 460 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 16 - 22 December 1999 Issue No. 460
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Debate Focus Profile Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A cleaner break
By Shaimaa LabibA delegation of US Congressmen, headed by J. Brandy Anderson, the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) administrator, visited Egypt last week to participate in a meeting of the sub-committee on Sustainable Development and the Environment.
One of four sub-committees organised under the Egypt-US Partnership for Economic Growth and Development, it is intended to support Egypt's efforts to protect natural resources and promote environmentally friendly policies within the framework of sustainable development.
Anderson met with Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Nadia Makram Ebeid, Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagi, and Minister of Petroleum, Sameh Fahmy.
During the meeting environmental education and opportunities to advance the partnership agenda through an action plan for the next year were discussed, alongside the steps necessary to foster national and international partnerships and the most efficient ways of enforcing Environmental Law number 4 which aims at ensuring that industry complies with basic environmental standards.
After the meeting, Anderson and Ebeid announced the launch of the Egyptian Environmental Policy Programme (EEPP), a $170 million four-year programme that will include several policy initiatives to be undertaken by the three ministries -- tourism, environment and petroleum -- with the financial support of USAID.
"We are working with the American side in implementing necessary measures to protect Egypt's natural resources, especially in the Red Sea. The American side is also helping in introducing environmentally friendly measures in the 10th of Ramadan City, where more than 70 per cent of companies are now environmentally-compliant. It will be the first industrial city to be declared environmentally-friendly," said Ebeid. She added that USAID activities aimed at enhancing environmental friendliness include promoting energy efficiency, addressing industrial pollution and the better utilisation of natural resources.
The EEPP will be a cooperative effort between the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), the Tourism Development Authority (TDA), the Organisation for Energy Planning (OEP) and USAID. The programme's objectives include promoting policies to encourage cleaner and more efficient energy use, reducing industrial pollution, improving solid waste management and protecting the coral reefs and islands of the Red Sea. EEPP also hopes to foster opportunities for Egypt's private sector and NGOs to play a more active role in environmental improvement.
"USAID is working closely with the three ministries in addressing the pressing environmental priorities of the Egyptian government. We are working to promote sound environmental policies and increase the awareness of environmental and natural resource issues in Egypt," said Anderson.
He praised measures already taken by the Ministry of Tourism to support the sustainable management of Red Sea coastal resources and acknowledged the Ministry of Petroleum's efforts in addressing the need to promote the more efficient use of energy resources.
"The EEPP is intended to assist the Egyptian government in addressing the vital issues involved in the management of Red Sea coastal resources, pollution prevention, and the efficient use of energy resources, with USAID providing technical expertise and budget support. It will also help the private sector and NGOs participate in developing solutions to environmental issues," Anderson said.
The Egyptian-US Partnership for Economic Growth and Development, initiated in 1994 by President Mubarak and US Vice President Al Gore, is intended to promote economic growth, job creation and to foster economic ties between the two countries.
