Egypt’s Planning Ministry, “Decent Life” Foundation discuss enhancing cooperation in the “Green Village” initiative

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, represented by Dr. Jamil Helmy, Assistant Minister for Follow-up Affairs of the Sustainable Development Plan, held recently a virtual workshop with Ohoud Wafi, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Decent Life Foundation, and Muhammad Siddiq, Director of the Foundation’s Engineering Sector.

The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the mechanisms through which the role of the Foundation will be activated in the "Green Village" initiative of the "Decent Life" rural development project in Egypt. 

 

 

 Dr. Jamil Helmy emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with all successful partners, including civil society organizations and private sector institutions, to benefit from their expertise in integrating the environmental dimension of the "Decent Life" project.  

Helmy pointed out that the “Green Village” initiative reflects the state’s interest in greening investments directed to “A Decent Life” projects.

Helmy pointed out that these investments represent 30% of the total investments directed to the presidential initiative projects.

Helmy reviewed the goals of the “Green Village” initiative, which aims to rehabilitate “A Decent Life” villages to comply with global environmental standards and obtain “Tarsheed” (Rationalization) certificates for green rural communities.

 

Helmy pointed out that it is targeted to rehabilitate 19 villages in rural governorates and complete the Fares Village model in Aswan Governorate, the first green village in the republic to obtain a “Tarsheed” (Rationalization) certificate.

  Helmy valued the cooperation with the “Hayat Karima” Foundation, the “E-Consult” Engineering and Environmental Consulting Company, and the Egyptian Green Building Association in this regard.

Helmy stressed the importance of achieving integration between all the efforts made by the relevant parties.

He further pointed out that “A Decent Life” is the largest and most comprehensive development project witnessed by the Egyptian state in the modern era, in which all governmental, private, and civil society agencies participate in its implementation.

The Assistant Minister of Planning explained that “Decent Life” projects greatly help villages obtain a “Tarsheed” (Rationalization) certificate reviewing environmentally friendly green intervention models, including rehabilitating and lining canals, paving roads, applying modern irrigation systems, organic agriculture, and waste treatment.

 

  Helmy also reviewed the most important development interventions that can benefit from civil society expertise, including street planting, providing waste treatment units, compost, biogas units, and solar panels, as well as organizing seminars and seminars to spread environmental awareness among the people of the villages.

Helmy pointed out that the Ministry of Planning delegation continues its field visits to the villages nominated by the governorates to obtain the “Tarsheed” certificate to follow up on the availability of the standards set by the World Green Building Council, in cooperation with the “E-Consult” company.

For her part, Ohoud Wafi, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Decent Life Foundation, praised the “Green Village” initiative and its role in achieving environmental sustainability in the Egyptian countryside.

She also praised the ongoing cooperation with the Ministry of Planning in this context and expressed the Foundation’s readiness to contribute to implementing green projects in the targeted villages.

This virtual workshop witnessed the participation of officials from the Ministry of Planning, the Decent Life Unit team, which includes: Ahmed Al-Shimi, Muhammad Sharif Al-Hilli, Ahmed Reda, and Omar Metwally.