Egypt: National strategy for adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction

The main objective of Egypt’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction is to increase the flexibility of the Egyptian community when dealing with the risks and disasters that might be caused by climate change and its impact on different sectors and activities. It also aims at strengthening the capacity to absorb and reduce the risks and disasters to be caused by such changes.

In essence, the strategy adopts accommodation and protection as the two basic means of defence, taking into consideration systematic retreat based upon predefined plans, in case the coastal zones are exposed to cyclones, tsunamis or any other extreme event. The global concepts agreed upon in the Copenhagen Accord (2010) refer to a minimum temperature increase of no more than two degrees Celsius as well as two sea level rise scenarios of 0.5 meters and 1 meter until the end of the 21st century.