Egypt is a country that has experienced great adversity. Over the past few centuries, Egypt has faced grave political and social obstacles, from being caught in the crossfire of Axis powers during World War II to the Arab Spring of 2010. However, one of Egypt’s adversities has been with climate and its constantly changing conditions. Egypt’s struggles with climate have been prevalent for almost thousands of years. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Egypt’s already arid climate will suffer majorly from numerous environmental stressors present today, those being: extreme temperatures, deteriorating soil salinity, and persistent drought. It can be inferred that there is lots of work for Egypt to do to combat these obstacles, as the permittance of them to run wild will do nothing but hinder the lives of millions of people living in the region.
So, how is Egypt fixing this?
The answer is complex, but methodical and rational. Egypt’s national government, one of its leaders being Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, has proposed a plan of action, titled Egypt National Climate Change Strategy 2050 (NCCS 2050). Climate Change Laws of the World has provided a detailed description of the document, which contains multiple sections, each describing the measures that will be taken for the nation to be able to combat climate change while being in an already vulnerable state.
The main objective of the NCCS 2050 is for Egypt to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This goal is incredibly large-scale and would be a monumental success if it were to be executed with precision. The nation plans to move forward with this by switching from coal, oil, and gas sources to elements such as the sun, wind, and hydropower. This can range from in-house lighting and power to public and private transportation. Additionally, with combatting climate change comes the prevention of the damage already done, especially to the most vulnerable groups. As a result, Egypt plans to ensure that individuals with no homes and who have the lowest incomes get the housing and support they need, which will aid thousands of people living in hardship, strengthen already existing communities, and possibly form new ones.
There are, however, factors that may hinder the full success of this plan and may pose additional challenges, one being the financing of the project. It will be incredibly expensive, as most of the country would have to order a complete switch of materials to be in high demand. According to Enerdata.net, Egypt plans to invest 211 billion US dollars for mitigation, 112 billion US dollars for adaptation, and an additional 10 billion US dollars to develop ten gigawatts of renewables, as well as to upgrade its thermal power plants. Further, the rapid technological advancements that Egypt is aiming for may be incredibly hard to achieve within the next few years, as citizens have spent the last decades growing accustomed to certain resources that may not be permanently available once the plan is fully achieved. Low emissions of carbon and other fossil fuels are an ideal situation for any part of the world, but it is a matter of a community’s willingness and adaption to a new environment that will determine the success of this project. Even so, there are a myriad of benefits that come with this plan (not listed above).
From governmental changes to technological advancements, it is incredibly interesting to observe the long-term changes that will come to Egypt from this legislation. Only time will truly tell of the nation’s success with this plan, and how it will impact the entire region as well as the climate change policies of the rest of the world.
Written by Alexandra Kwitkowski
