The head of Egypt’s General Authority for Shores Protection Eng.  Ashour Abdel Karim, and Head of the Planning Sector at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Iman El-Sayed, along with the Assistant Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Mohamed Bayoumi launched the first workshop for the Integrated Management for Coastal Resources training programme, targeting local administrations and governmental branches located in North Sinai, Port Said, Damietta, Dakahlia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Behera, Alexandria, and Matrouh governorates.

The training is part of the “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast of Egypt” project, implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and UNDP with funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Eng. Ashour Abdel Karim said that “The Integrated Management for Coastal Resources Training programme will link regional development plans with shore protection plans to ensure the reduction of coastal erosion, a result of the lack of coordination between coastal activities and the sea level rise associated with climate change.

In his remarks, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Sylvain Merlen, highlighted that the implementation of this project comes within the framework of UNDP’s support to the Egyptian Government for managing the risks of climate change in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and in coordination with the Ministry of Environment.

The Projects’ Manager, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed, added that the training will include 133 trainees and will continue for six months to build national capacities in coastal zones in the context of preparing an integrated plan for coastal resource management in Egypt with the partnership of all concerned parties.

The workshop’s participants further highlighted the effects of climate change in their governorates, such as the increased coastal erosion, floods, and saltwater intrusion. “It is the first time that the water flows twice from the Al-Arish Valley to the Mediterranean Sea during the winter”, said an attendee from Northern Sinai governorate. This is an incident that they have never seen or heard before.