GCF approves US$31.4 million for a UNDP-supported project to enhance climate change adaptation in the north coast and Nile Delta regions in Egypt
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) in its 18th Board Meeting in Cairo last week approved a United Nations Development Programme-supported (UNDP) project entitled “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast of Egypt.” The project is to be implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation with a total budget of US$ 31.4 million over seven years.
The project aims to protect the densely populated low-lying lands in the Nile Delta, the home of 25 percent of the Egyptian population, which have been identified as highly vulnerable to climate change induced sea-level rise. The sea-level rise will have a direct and critical impact on Egypt’s infrastructure and development along the low coastal lands. Egypt relies on the Nile delta for prime agricultural land, accordingly coastal inundation or saline intrusion will have a direct and critical impact on Egypt’s entire economy.
“I am pleased that the board approved the funds in its meeting. Together with the Egyptian government and GCF, UNDP will work on this mega project to tackle climate change. Addressing it is critical for our sustainable future. The project will protect the most vulnerable communities to climate change from any potential risks in the future,” said Randa Aboul Hosn, UNDP Country Director in Egypt.
The number of extreme weather events inducing casualties and economic losses have increased significantly in Egypt over the last ten years. Flooding major cities, destroying infrastructure and disturbing economic activities, or even in villages, destroying homes and agriculture lands, were among the caused losses. The GCF-financed project will expand the use of low-cost dikes system to prevent the flooding of the low-lying lands from sea surges during extreme weather events. The dike system was first tested under the pilot level under the Global Environment Facility Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) project.
“A competent team, including Government and UNDP staff as well as national and international experts in climate change adaptation of coastal zones, has contributed to the development of this proposal. The project would have not materialized without the Government demonstrated ownership and commitment to the project and high level of cooperation and coordination with UNDP,” said Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative and Climate Change Team Leader.
The project will also support the development of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZM) for the North Coast of Egypt that links the plan for shore protection from sea-level rise with the national development plan of the coastal zones. The ICZM plan will be associated with the establishment of a systematic observation system to monitor Oceanographic parameters changes under a changing climate as well as the impact of the different shore protection scenarios on the coastal erosion and shore stability.