Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, announced that the country's private tourism sector, particularly the diving industry, will collaborate with the ministry for the first time to monitor marine biodiversity and enhance tourism management in natural reserves, the Egyptian Cabinet reported on Tuesday. Fouad made the announcement during a press conference organised by the Ministry of Environment under the Green Sharm El-Sheikh project. The minister highlighted the importance of new digital tools, including the Eco Monitor app and an electronic permit system, which streamline licensing and help assess environmental pressures. She reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to marine conservation, with or without external funding, and introduced financial incentives for divers submitting monitoring reports. The Eco Monitor app allows professional divers to log marine life observations, contributing to a national database for environmental decision-making. Initially focusing on specific marine species, the programme will train 1,000 divers next month before expanding to a wider user base. Additionally, the ministry is finalising a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF) to ensure the sustainability of marine resources and protect diving sites. Efforts will also integrate data and streamline coordination with marine activity authorities. Technical and financial support was announced under the Green Sharm El-Sheikh project for pilot solar power stations in select hotels in addition to assistance to twenty hotels for the installation of solar energy systems, expected to generate over 6 MW of electricity with an investment exceeding $2 million. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
