Egypt launches national biodiversity conservation strategy

The Egyptian authorities have launched a national biodiversity conservation strategy until 2030. The initiative reflects the course of the country’s leadership headed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi towards preserving natural resources and sustainable development, reports Sada El‑Balad, a partner of TV BRICS.

As noted in the report, Egypt possesses unique biodiversity – from the cradle of civilisation in the Nile Valley to Egyptian deserts with their natural resources and seas with the world’s second-largest coral reef. This natural wealth forms part of the country’s national identity and serves as a foundation for its economic and food security.

Egypt’s Minister of Local Development, Manal Awad, emphasised that the new strategy is not merely a document but a unified national framework that helps different ministries and government bodies work together. Its main task is to integrate biodiversity conservation into key areas of the country’s development.

The document includes 21 national goals. The strategy establishes a clear national framework for protecting ecosystems, restoring territories that have lost fertility or been damaged, and promoting sustainable management of natural resources.

This means that natural wealth will be used in a way that avoids depletion and preserves it for future generations. At the same time, biodiversity considerations will be incorporated into development plans across various sectors, including agriculture, industry, tourism, irrigation, the oil sector and urban planning.

The minister proposed involving the private sector in projects related to ecotourism, nature reserve management, the blue economy and clean energy. She also called for the strategy to be included among state spending priorities and for the implementation of a biodiversity financing plan prepared jointly with international partners.

Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme highlighted the relevance of the strategy and emphasised the importance of biodiversity for Egypt’s economy. According to them, the coral reefs of the Red Sea support tourism and create jobs, while healthy ecosystems sustain agriculture and fisheries, increase resilience to climate change and ensure food security.

At present, the country has already achieved progress in environmental protection: it is developing Egyptian lakes, expanding the network of nature reserves – which now cover more than 14 per cent of the country’s territory – and implementing policies related to the green and blue economy.

The updated strategy will serve as a roadmap based on scientific principles, best international practices and the provisions of the global biodiversity framework. The adoption of the strategy is an important step ahead of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will take place in October this year in Yerevan, Armenia.