CAIRO: During the last decade the environment has become one of the most important issues facing the world as a whole. Egypt, with all its environmental problems such us air pollution, water resources, consequences of climate changes on coastal zones, agriculture and waste, does not escape the debate. Starting in the 1990s, the enormous ecological problems evolved into one of the most pressing issues of the Egyptian government, with national policies, plans and action being taken, notably the re-using of wastewater, efforts to prevent the increase of air pollution, the preservation plans for the coastal areas and coral reefs and attempts to reduce the amount of the daily domestic garbage by following a wide recycling campaign. All seem not to have gotten off the ground. So how can Egypt win these ecological challenges if people are not getting involved? If streets, parks and buildings are still considered a huge open-air garbage bin, can Egypt come through? It is a fact that in the last few years the culture of going green among Egyptians has increased, but the issue is still widely believed to be a concern of the authorities and in most cases people do not truly understand which efforts have to be done in order to avoid the environmental degradation that continues in the North African nation. “We must make an effort to save Egypt from itself,” said Heba al-Seif, a recent college graduate who attempted to start a campus-wide recycling campaign at Cairo University. “It failed because we don't understand what is going on and trying to tell people this is a major turn off.” Education is especially important, both inside and outside homes, and is essential for guiding people to preserve the environment, experts argue. School courses should include the “green culture” and give examples of more practices toward preserving the environment that should be done to motivate and get children and students involved in pro-environmental actions and events. A number of NGOs have had a role in raising green awareness and educating people about the importance of preserving the nature. The Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association's (HEPCA) activity, which from August 2009 attended to the sole responsibility for the management of waste collection and recycling in the southern Red Sea, proves that recycling does make a difference. According to Ahmed el-Doubi, who works at HEPCA, the results are staggering. “The monthly HEPCA recycled paper (8,5 tonnes) total saves enough energy for heat, electricity and air-conditioning for the average Egyptian home for almost 30 months,” he referenced to a HEPCA report in December 2009. There must be a shift from the traditional reactive approach to a more proactive anticipatory approach to environmental issues, Droubi and others have argued. Going green can be difficult and costly, but the benefits are often long-term and guaranteed. Nevertheless a greener strategy won’t work unless people find it convincing and necessary for the future generations. BM
