Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, held an extensive meeting with Andreas Roub, Director of the Business and Green Transformation Program at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Egypt.
Dr. Manal Awad highlighted the importance of expanding the program to include Greater Cairo and Alexandria, given the large amount of waste in these two cities. She also called for the need to develop a unified plan for waste management in all governorates, including the determination of quantities and methods of treatment and safe disposal of waste, in addition to the establishment of an electronic application to monitor data and follow up in real time.
She added that she is working on a comprehensive strategic plan for each province, targeting Qena as a model. It also focused on supporting initiatives aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic bags and cups, especially in coastal cities.
It also recommended the implementation of joint training programs that contribute to the rehabilitation of local cadres to improve the management of the system, while applying the principle of extended responsibility of the product.
For his part, the Director of the Green Transformation Program of the German Agency for the continuation of GIZ support for the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, as well as for start-ups and NGOs working in this field, while praising the results achieved in the four targeted governorates.
The agency delegation invited Dr. Manal Awad to participate in the conference on emerging youth projects in Qena province, which reflects the fruitful cooperation between the various parties to achieve sustainable development.
The meeting aims to consolidate the achievements made during the third phase of the National Solid Waste Management Program and also discussed the plans for the fourth phase of mutual cooperation.
