Egypt and China's Sinoway Forest Technology Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinoway Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd. are exploring collaboration on afforestation and forest restoration projects in the North African country, as per a Cabinet statement on Sunday. The meeting, held between Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, key environmental officials, and Sinoway Forest representatives, focused on leveraging advanced forestry technologies to combat climate change, enhance biodiversity, and promote sustainable land management. Sinoway Forest presented its vision for expanding operations in Egypt through pioneering afforestation initiatives, wetland restoration, and carbon reduction projects. The Chinese company highlighted its expertise in rehabilitating degraded lands, managing industrial forestry, and exchanging knowledge in soil science, forestry, and biodiversity conservation. One of the key technologies introduced was seed ball technology, an innovative method that utilizes soil and atmospheric moisture to support forest growth. This approach, already implemented in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Tunisia, is designed to mitigate the effects of climate change and combat desertification. Minister Fouad emphasised the importance of aligning afforestation efforts with Egypt's water scarcity challenges, ensuring that new projects do not put additional pressure on natural resources. She also underscored the potential for integrating carbon credit certification into these initiatives, particularly as Egypt has launched its first voluntary carbon market. A Sinoway Forest representative highlighted the effectiveness of afforestation in reducing carbon emissions, noting that China has adopted large-scale forest restoration programs to counteract the loss of one million hectares of farmland annually due to desertification. Recent climate and desertification conferences have reinforced the role of forest restoration as a sustainable and impactful climate solution. Sinoway Forest reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with local governments to restore ecosystems, enhance rainfall patterns, and promote environmental sustainability. The company is also working with industry stakeholders to advance carbon neutrality goals through forest-based carbon credit trading, contributing to global climate action efforts. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
