The Regional Office for Africa of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with the Sustainability in Africa Programme of the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), organized the second roundtable of the African Forum of Environmental Protection Agencies (AFEPA), which will run from 3 to 5 December. Khaled Fahmy, Executive Director of CEDARE; Ahmed Abdel Rahim, Senior Technical Advisor and Regional Director of the Knowledge Management Programme at CEDARE; Faustine Munyazikwe, the President's Representative of the African Environmental Protection Association; Rose Mwebaza, Director and Regional Representative of the Africa Office of the United Nations Environment Programme; and heads of environmental protection agencies and directors of environmental departments from African countries attended the meeting.
During her speech at the event's opening, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad emphasized the significance of integrating science and policies to effectively utilize information and data for finding solutions and opportunities for the African environment. She also emphasized the importance of applying the latest scientific findings, best policies, and global success stories at the national level, ensuring they align with national circumstances and needs.
The Minister of Environment referred to the energy sector as one of the most important models for linking science and policies, in light of the continent's need for a just transition and the importance of implementing actual policies on the ground to benefit from the outcomes of climate conferences in this regard.
The Minister of Environment reviewed Egypt's steps to expand the use of renewable energy, including setting the feed-in tariff for renewable energy since 2016 and proceeding with a dynamic process to update it in line with economic changes and in a way that encourages the involvement of the private sector.
Fouad also spoke about a new national model that aims to utilize scientific findings and studies to protect natural resources. Multiple studies have shown that the coral reefs on Egypt's northern Gulf of Aqaba coast will be the last area on Earth to withstand the effects of climate change. Additionally, the Global Framework for Biodiversity aims to declare 30% of the planet as a protected area by 2030, necessitating the implementation of concrete measures to preserve the Egyptian Red Sea coast.
The Minister of Environment invited the participants to learn about the inspiring model that Egypt seeks to implement by declaring the entire Egyptian Red Sea coast a protected area under the name of the Great Coast by the end of this year, as a result of a two-year journey of consultations between various stakeholders and concerned sectors to confront a challenge indicated by science: the impact of development works and population growth on natural resources, especially coastal areas and coral reefs.
For his part, Ahmed Abdel Rahim, Senior Technical Advisor and Regional Director of the Knowledge Management Program at CEDARE, stated that "the second roundtable is a milestone in the coordination of environmental policies, strengthening institutional capacities, and advancing sustainable development across Africa, and CEDARE is proud to play a key role in developing the digital platform of the African Forum of Environmental Protection Agencies and in hosting this important event."
"Africa is facing a good number of challenges, including climate change impacts, air pollution, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss, and most of them are transboundary in nature. This forum will help us to join our efforts and deal with all of those challenges together as one," said Asanteni Sana, the Deputy Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and Chair of AFEPA.
Under the auspices of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), the inaugural meeting of the African Environment and Environment Agency in Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023 established the African Forum of Environmental Protection Agencies as a crucial platform for enhancing cooperation among African environmental protection agencies.
