Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anani announced, on Saturday, the launch of a campaign to protect the marine environment in the Red Sea. Also attending the launch were: Randa Abul-Hassan, the resident representative for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation; workers involved in eco-tourism activities; and the parties participating in the campaign. The launch took place as part of Egypt's celebrations of World Environment Day 2021 and the EcoEgypt campaign to promote eco-tourism. During the launch, Fouad stressed that this year's celebrations for World Environment Day were unconventional, in light of the global conditions resulting from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Fouad noted that these conditions oblige us to reconcile with nature, without which there will be no life on planet Earth. The minister also noted that the launch of the campaign aims to protect the marine environment, and will take place in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. It serves as a wake-up call in order to build a different future for the current and future generations. Fouad added that the campaign to protect the marine environment in the Red Sea is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As part of the Eco Egypt campaign, it will continue its work in the coming period to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the marine environment, so that everyone can enjoy a safe and clean environment. She further noted that the campaign to protect the marine environment aims to preserve the biological diversity of the Red Sea, as a right for future generations to access natural resources. This contributes to preserving the natural heritage and community development in Egypt on the economic and cultural levels, and guarantees the continuity of responsible coastal tourism in the country. The minister highlighted the importance of maintaining ecological balance, whilst working to alleviate the pressures of human activities and spreading environmentally friendly practices in the tourism sector. This would take place by strengthening partnerships with the private sector and international bodies for nature conservation. Also important is the protection of environmental resources and biological diversity, while making the best use of natural resources. The campaign includes a series of awareness videos and posters that show the harmful effects of human activities on the marine environment. These will be shown at airports, tourist outlets, hotels, media, and diving centres. For his part, El-Anani said that raising awareness on all aspects related to tourism is one of the strategic objectives of his ministry's achieving sustainable development.
