Egypt After 2025: Navigating a Critical Inflection Point    Spot Gold, futures slips on Thursday, July 17th    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Egypt expresses condolences to Iraq over fire tragedy    Egypt, Oman discuss environmental cooperation    Egypt's Environment Minister attends AMCEN conference in Nairobi    At London 'Egypt Day', Finance Minister outlines pro-investment policies    Sukari Gold Mine showcases successful public–private partnership: Minister of Petroleum    Egypt's FRA chief vows to reform business environment to boost investor confidence    Egyptian, Belarusian officials discuss drug registration, market access    Syria says it will defend its territory after Israeli strikes in Suwayda    Pakistan names Qatari royal as brand ambassador after 'Killer Mountain' climb    Health Ministry denies claims of meningitis-related deaths among siblings    Sri Lanka's expat remittances up in June '25    EU–US trade talks enter 'decisive phase', German politician says    Egypt's Health Min. discusses drug localisation with Sandoz    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Environmental Voices: Egypt''s survival depends on a greener agenda
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 05 - 10 - 2010

The following article is part of Al-Masry Al Youm's weekly "Environmental Voices" series, in which issues related to the environment--whether local, regional or international in nature--will be discussed from the point of view of environmental experts.
Environment, climate change and global warming have become buzz words in recent years--whether internationally or locally. But how seriously are such issues being taken on the ground?
As a follow up to the Rio Conference of 1992 and, more recently, in response to calls from the Johannesburg Earth Summit of 2002, green movements spearheaded by environmental activists have led to the formation of Green parties in a growing number of countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Many of such Green political parties--The Greens, Les Verts, Die Grünen, De Groenen and Los Verdes, as they are called in various languages--have joined a Global Green Coordination and Global Green Network, founded in 2001 in Canberra, Australia.
The Green Party of Egypt, ‘Hizb al-Khodr', was established in 1990 by the founder of the Papyrus Institute in Egypt, the late Hassan Ragab. This means that awareness of the need to give priority to the environmental agenda existed in the country even before international calls for action were heard.
Hizb al-Khodr is a minor liberal party among 12 parties registered under the liberal grouping (other political parties are classified as left-wing or right-wing, in addition to other political groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the Communist Group and Kefaya). Hizb al-Khodr was put on hiatus in 1995, but was revived in 1998. It is represented in the Shura Council (the upper house of Egypt's parliament) by its president, Abdul Munem al-Aasar, although by presidential appointment rather than by election. The party puts out an e-newsletter called “Al-Watan” or "The nation."
The party is committed to the protection and promotion of the environment and optimal use of resources. While adopting a free market as Egypt's main economic system, it calls for striking a balance between incomes and prices and drawing up solutions to the problems of poverty and under-development by rendering social justice to all citizens. It also swears allegiance to the principles of liberal democracy and looks to religion as a main guideline for solving daily problems.
However, as is commonly known, political parties in Egypt--other than the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) of President Hosni Mubarak--wield little weight in the realm of public affairs. This is perhaps one of the reasons why little is known about the mission of Hizb al-Khodr--or how they plan to translate their ideas into action.
State machinery for environmental affairs was established by the government in 1997 with the creation of the Minister of State for the Environment. However, this state machinery lacks authority, as the minister enjoys neither an executive role nor the necessary political leverage to enforce environmental laws.
The sad situation is that twenty years after having a full-fledged green political party--and thirteen years after the creation of a ministerial portfolio devoted to the environment--a major gap still exists between intent, legislation and policies on the one hand, and practice on the other. This denotes a lack of respect for the environment and low levels of social responsibility--by individuals, institutions and corporations, whose convictions seldom transcend naked self interest.
The evidence lies in the high levels of air and water pollution prevailing in the country; soil degradation; unchecked urbanization; inadequate waste management; coastal erosion; and other environmental hazards.
What, then, is to be done?
We could consider granting executive power to the Minister of State for the Environment and greater political leverage to the relevant ministries and the business sector. Or provide the greens with greater representation in parliament. Upcoming elections in November could--in a best-case scenario--achieve this outcome.
Either or both solutions, however, do not only require national awareness of the philosophy underpinning the environmental agenda, but also of its implications, as these include the precepts of good governance and respect for the public good over mere self interest--individual or institutional.
In parallel, including environmental concepts in educational curricula is also a must in order to foster an environmental culture among new generations.
Lastly, we Egyptians have to admit that green has hardly been a motto in our daily lives. Perhaps the consequences of climate warming--from which we have already begun to suffer--will force us to think differently.
Green politics isn't a luxury, but a question of national survival.


Clic here to read the story from its source.