Latest news with #GreenSharm
Egypt Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Sharm El Sheikh designated as Egypt's first green city by ICLEI
Sharm El Sheikh has officially become Egypt's first city to be recognized as a 'Green City' by the global Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) network. This significant achievement was announced by Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, alongside South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Gimar Deeb. The designation marks the culmination of Sharm El Sheikh's extensive journey towards environmental sustainability, which gained momentum after Egypt hosted the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2018 and was solidified by the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in 2022. Guided by presidential directives, approximately 39 projects transformed the city into a comprehensive green model. Key initiatives contributing to this status include substantial investments (LE800 million) in renewable energy (51 megawatts, solar installations across hotels and remote areas), the establishment of 145 km of cycling paths and sustainable transport, and robust solid waste management systems that engage the local community, including converting used cooking oil into biodiesel. The city also focuses on water desalination in Nabq Protectorate and biodiversity preservation, including coral reef monitoring. Though Sharm El Sheikh is the inaugural Egyptian city to join the ICLEI, El-Kharga City's prior designation as a green city by the Arab League highlights Egypt's expansive dedication to sustainable development. Governor Fouda emphasized that COP27 was a critical turning point, solidifying Sharm El Sheikh's identity as a green tourism destination. The 'Green Sharm' project specifically targets energy, waste, transport, water, and biodiversity, including a ban on single-use plastics in 50 hotels by 2025/2026. This comprehensive strategy, supported by over $19.7 million in funding, aims to make Sharm El Sheikh a global model for sustainable tourism, promoting a healthy environment, a promising economy, and a responsible community. The Green Sharm Project Manager and the UNDP representative both lauded Sharm El Sheikh's inclusion, emphasizing it as a clear demonstration of Egypt's dedication to green transformation and its positive impact on the city's tourism appeal in addition to its role as a global symbol post-COP27.
CairoScene
03-03-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Green Sharm El Sheikh Launches Two Sustainability-Focused Apps
The Eco Monitor app and E-Permitting system will facilitate data collection on marine life and the use of natural resources in the area, enabling the project to tailor its conservation strategies. Mar 03, 2025 Two new apps have just launched as part of the Green Sharm El Sheikh project, which aims to transform Sharm El Sheikh into an ecological model for sustainable tourism. The Eco-Monitor app and E-Permitting system will facilitate data collection on marine life and the area's use of natural resources. Covering Sharm El Sheikh, as well as Ras El Mohammed and Abu Ghalloum in the Red Sea, both apps will collect comprehensive environmental data in these areas, allowing the project to formulate its sustainability strategies accordingly. 'In order to become a sustainable tourism destination, we need to know where we are right now,' Mohammed Elewa, Project Manager of Green Sharm El Sheikh, tells CairoScene. Developed in collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Federation, the Eco Monitor app will collect data on marine life in the Red Sea, with a focus on key species: dolphins, dugongs, sharks and turtles. 'A team of professional divers will report their observations daily and will create a database from this data,' Elewa explains. This will allow the project to monitor red-sea life and tailor its approaches to protecting it. 'After an initial six months, the app will eventually expand its focus to different aspects of marine life, such as coral reefs, and will also open to more divers to participate in data-collection.' The E-Permits system allows tourism organisations to record their activities and to apply for permits through an online portal, and as such, reduces approval times and ensures compliance with environmental regulations. 'The new E-Permitting system is much easier and faster than the traditional paper-permitting system, at no extra cost,' Elewa says. This new system will also facilitate the collection of data on the different touristic activities occurring in the covered area, enabling the project to understand the use of natural resources here.
