A recent government report by the Ministry of Environment has indicated that drinking water pollution reached "complex stages that are difficult to be faced." The extensive number of bodies managing water resources has obstructed a solution. The ministry's annual report for 2008 added that the Nile River "has greatly suffered from pollution, especially in canals branching from it." The waterways are polluted by the direct and indirect waste produced by the industrial facilities and the sewage of towns and villages along these waterways.
The report was announced yesterday by the Minister of Environment Maged George during celebrations of the World Environment Day. There was lack of sanitation services over the past years. Waterways pass through the residential blocks of cities and villages. Therefore, people dump waste in them. The problem of water pollution in Egypt is very complex for many reasons, including the lack of huge investments to eliminate the causes of this pollution. In addition the extensive number of laws and bodies managing water resources has obstructed solution to the problem, the report added.
The Ministry of Environment has intensively faced air pollution nationwide. As a solution it established eleven stations to monitor air pollutants in various places to keep track of current pollution rates, which occurs during the period of the black cloud in Cairo.
The USAID-financed "Life" project made a study to measure the led levels in the blood of people living in areas surrounding foundries in Cairo. The study pointed out that the led level in the blood of 66.7% of men, 63.4% of women, and 48.9% of children under seven exceeded the allowed limit. Therefore, the study strongly recommended that these foundries should be closed immediately.
The report has uncovered a plan of operating an early warning unit to forecast air quality in Greater Cairo for three days. In addition, a cooperation protocol has been signed between the Ministry of Environment and the General Authority for Meteorology to provide technical support for this unit, and link it to the main computer network in the General Authority for Meteorology to receive and analyze satellite images and prepare them as inputs for the early warning system.
The report has warned against risks of the potential climate changes. Some of these risks have already appeared, as air temperature increased due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases. The increase in air temperature will jump from 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. This increase will be accompanied by a 180-590 cm rise in the sea level.
Noise is among the most environmental pollutants that negatively affected people's physical health. No one in the past discovered that this problem is a key factor behind the weakness of people's productivity and a main cause of various accidents.
The report added that solid waste represents the biggest environmental problem in Egypt in terms of its negative effects on health. Therefore, the Cabinet has allocated LE390.5 million to dispose of all solid waste from Egypt's governorates in 2010-2011 and find a rapid solution to this crisis. There has been a growing increase in quantities and types of hazardous waste generated by all enterprises. This waste poses clear danger to public health. Therefore, there should be new strategies, plans and legislation to dispose of these wastes safely.
With regard to the crisis of pigs in Egypt, the report confirmed that the Ministry of Environment addressed the ministries of housing, health, local development, and agriculture, as well as the General Authority for Urban Planning, the National Center for Planning the Use of State-owned Land, and the General Authority for Veterinary Services, to discuss searching for new places for breeding pigs.
The report added that 15th of May City was selected to be a place for the garbage-processing activities and breeding pigs of Cairo, Giza, and Qalyubia governorates. The project will meet all environmental requirements.
